The Night Patrol
by Overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: Drabbles and one-shots for the tumblr ladynoirjuly2k17 challenge.
1. Chapter 1: Perfectly (Im)Patient

The evening was warm but the lightest breeze kissed the back of his neck. He bounced from foot to foot, bounding circles around an amused Ladybug.

When she smiled at him like that, he knew he'd made the right decision to come out tonight in spite of his own discomfort.

"You seem like you're raring to go."

"Yep!" Chat stretched languorously, limbering up in preparation to sprint and leap onto the next roof over. "I was anxious to get out here. And once we finish with patrol, I can finally eat..."

"Wait." Ladybug gaped at him, her yo-yo slipping in her grasp. "You didn't eat before you got here?"

"Honestly, my Lady, I didn't really get the time before I snuck out. Things...ran a little longer than I had expected, and I was anxious to be here."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Alright. When did you eat?"

"I'm...not really sure." He tilted his head, crouching down on the edge of the roof as he puzzled. His food was usually bland but nutritious, so while he did eat it wasn't usually anything worth remembering.

"Think. When?"

His eyes scanned the horizon aimlessly. "Maybe around lunchtime?"

"Chat!" His eyes widened as she advanced on him. "That's not okay. You need to eat. Patrol can wait. I can wait."

He smiled softly, watching her grow agitated in fascination. Even in the dark, her eyes were the most amazing shade of blue. "If you need me here, I will be here, whether I get to eat first or not. Besides, my Kwami is almost always eating."

She rounded at him, landing a finger on his chest. "That's not the same thing. I need you to eat. I can't imagine coming out here hungry."

"But," His cheeks warmed as he grinned, pointedly glancing at where her finger lingered upon his chest. "It's too wait now."

Ladybug grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Tomorrow then. I would rather patrol on my own if I can't trust you not to run yourself ragged."

He sighed, dropping himself down onto the brick ledge, claws pricking lightly into the stone. "I'd rather be out on patrol. I like to be out here with you, Bugaboo."

Her eyes narrowed, as she crossed her arms over her chest, not budging even one inch. " I need to know that you won't be out here exhausted and hungry, especially when we never know when we might be needed."

Chat met her gaze, wishing for the millionth time he could explain to her in more detail. "My schedule is...unusual. And it isn't like we have a reliable way to talk before we're transformed."

Ladybug blanched, her eyes growing distant. He knew what keeping their identities safe meant to her, not that either of them had came up with a good idea for dealing with their inability to communicate outside of their transformations.

He knew the exact moment that her inspiration struck. He had seen in mid battle often enough. He knew he would never tire of the way her eyes lit up with the tiniest hint of mischief. The way her lips curled up in a self-satisfied smirk.

""Well." Her fingers were at her yo-yo, spooling it into another direction before he was on his feet. " If you can't eat before, then we'll eat on patrol."

"I happen to know of a rather excellent bakery..."

Chat lifted his baton from its holder and leapt off the edge to catch up, reasonably sure he knew where they were headed. His stomach growled in anticipation.. "I croissant wait, my lady."

His grin widened as her annoyed groan rang out into the night.

* * *

Author's Notes:

It's after midnight where I am, so I'm dropping this tonight so I can get moving with a heavy writing weekend! *fingers crossed*

Fair warning, I will probably be at least a little behind hitting the prompts on time because REAL LIFE (TM). I'm using this exercise to improve my writing speed and focus to help me work through my works in progress.

Feedback is always greatly appreciated. 3

I'm also on tumblr with the same user name.


	2. Chapter 2: Banter

"Is that the best you can do, Bugaboo?" Chat Noir stuck out his tongue with a grin.

Ladybug huffed as she scrambled to keep on his heels. How fair was it that his legs were getting longer and it was starting to take even more effort to run fast enough to keep up when they both ran along the rooftops?

She even gained an inch and half just over the summer break.

But Chat had to have shot up at least double that. It seemed like all the boys she knew were doing that right now.

"Yeah, yeah. You'd better run." She grumbled, willing her legs to move faster as she trailed behind him.

Tikki bolstered her strength and stamina a lot, but growing on top of school, patrol, helping out in the bakery, homework, and keeping Alya from putting the pieces together was starting to get really exhausting.

She needed something to even the playing field. A big part of these patrols was strategy after all.

It was like playing the most amazing, scarily realistic video game. One that they couldn't afford to lose.

Ladybug eyed at his slim form, assessing his movement for weaknesses, as she swung herself along the row of homes to try to make up for lost speed. Unfortunately, he was all feline grace and efficiency in motion. She could only detect the barest hint of a hitches here or there as he slightly adjusted his gait to re-balance and account for his new height, safety, and comfort in landings. She could probably snag him with her yo-yo and drag him back, but that would just wear her out faster.

She sighed wearily, preferring to hold off on accidentally throwing her Chaton off any buildings-unless he started to pun. Then it might be worth dropping Chat Noir off the building. Just to wipe the unrepentant, self-satisfied smirk off his face as he dropped down to the ground. He'd probably even land on his feet.

But it did give her an idea.

Chat loved to banter.

His painful tendency to pun aside, he was actually very clever at it. It gave their friendship this great dynamic. It was fun, it was competitive. It was even remarkably entertaining.

And every once in awhile, even one of his puns would land with such delightful absurdity that she really, truly wanted to laugh.

Not she would ever dare. It would only encourage him.

And were they not both wrapped up on saving the city and its citizens, they both would probably have more time to enjoy it.

Chat's banter kept the Akuma off balance, and he was really effective at distraction and pulling aggro away from her once the heat of battle was on and they were on a tight timeline to use her lucky charm before her powers expired.

It was necessary in battle. But he was starting to get a little bit too distracting.

Her partner was attractive. She did have a pulse after all. The problem was that he knew it too.

Flirty behavior was all well and good...except when the safety of people was on the line. He mostly focused in when the battle came to a head, but he definitely had some issues focusing on the task at hand. Especially the totally rare occasion when he had caught her staring.

You know. For battle coordination purposes.

She sighed, tugging out her yo-yo and trying to catch up speed. It wasn't her fault her eyes kept darting in that direction.

Alya kept sending her compilations videos of Chat's better side. She had defended him once during class. Just once. And only after Chloe had decided to be a total prat about it. And now all of the sudden, Alya was not so subtly shipping it.

Or Alya was just hoping it would push her to finally ask Adrien out, so she would stop sending the videos.

Ladybug rubbed her temples, desperate to regain focus. They had a job to do; one that didn't seem likely to be settled anytime soon. Hawkmoth was starting to get smarter, which meant they needed to as well. They both needed to be on top of their games. Just not his flirting game. All of the kisses pressed to the back of her hand and courtly bows were flattering…it was just that Chat Noir was her friend. Her sweet but dorky partner. Now if Adrien did that, it would be an entirely different story..

Ladybug shook her head, snagging the edge of pole and flipping herself onto the cramped stretch of rooftop to ponder her next move.

Some guys seemed to enjoy the chase. Chat definitely seemed to fall into this category, intent on showering her in attention, even when she brushed him off.

She had been listening to Alya for long enough to know her friend would recommend turning it around on him. He'd either back off or he'd escalate and she could just chalk it up to teasing. When she had chased him while he was under Dark Cupid's influence, Chat had bolted like the devil himself was on his heels. She was only trying to kiss the poor boy to break him out from under Hawkmoth's influence.

Ladybug tapped her fingers against her yo-yo. Outright chasing him-again-would probably defeat the purpose. She still needed her kitten's help; she just wanted him to scale it back when they needed to deal with Akuma.

But if she just gave him a little dose of his own medicine with just a little flirty behavior of her own?

Chat pounced over to meet her on the thin strip of roof. his head tilted in concern. "You okay, LB? I'm not sure where I lost track of you back there."

Ladybug nodded, meeting the glow of his green eyes. "I think so."

Frowning, Chat closed the distance between them.

"We're going to have to deal with all of this cat behavior, Chaton." She tapped at his bell absently, as a coy smile darted across her lips as she waited for his reaction.

But he didn't bolt. Nor did he escalate the flirtation as she had expected he would.

Instead Chat Noir's cheeks burned bright red as keeled backward onto the rooftop.

Ladybug frowned down at the surprisingly adorable, blessedly silent pile of leather and cat boy gaping up at her in glowing wide green-eyed confusion.

She was pretty sure she had somehow managed to break him.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Feedback is always greatly appreciated. 3

I'm also on tumblr with the same user name.


	3. Chapter 3: Explosion

It had been a lovely, quiet night.

The clusters lights glowed brightly in contrast to the darkly clouded night sky. The view was gorgeous, and it didn't hurt that the lighting was optimal for her to find her footing on to the rooftops of Paris.

Chat Noir always claimed he could see just as well on the darkest nights.

They had scrambled across the rooftops together for a bit, before turning and separating into their separate ways along their conventional route to ensure the whole of Paris was safe for the evening.

Ladybug wasn't even sure when she heard the first burst of fireworks break over the Seine. From her current angle, their glow reflected upon the water was amazing.

The display was lovely. But if the increasing rush of screams told her anything, it was that the light show was definitely unplanned.

Landing hard upon the rooftop, her yo-yo was in her hand, string re-spooled without a second thought.

Chat's grinning face took up the tiny screen in scarcely a second. "Miss me, already, my Lady?"

She rolled her eyes. "See the fireworks?"

"Yep."

"How fast can you be here?"

Chat's greens eyes flashed. "As fast as you need me."

* * *

The battle had been hard. Harder than expected, but only because the Akuma could literally throw fire, and they both were a little singed. The smell of burnt hair was acrid, stinging her nostrils.

One of her pigtails felt decidedly, disconcertingly lighter. Not that she had the time to worry about that for the moment as another fireball was tossed in their direction.

Chat's cataclysm.- the second he'd needed to set this evening - finally did the trick, confounding the Akuma by destroying the boat she had been standing out from under her own feet.

Ladybug snagged the infected hair clip, breaking it efficiently and sending the purified little butterfly on its way.

Chat fished the victim out of the Seine with his baton, recovering her Lucky Charm, a life preserver before she tossed it into the sky and hoped.

* * *

Her arms wrapped around her shoulders, as they watched the police helping the very confused young woman along the river's edge below.

They were up on the rooftops again just to get away from the news crews. She didn't think she could take the questions right now.

This was seriously not good.

"It will be okay." Chat's hand sat on her shoulder, as they surveyed the battle damage. "Hair grows back eventually."

Her eyes narrowed, her hands clenched into a tight fist to hide the fact that they were trembling . "I mean, it does. But that's not what has me worried."

Not the only thing anyways, her mind filled in.

"Then what, my lady?"

She sighed as her earrings chimed. They both were already on borrowed time. "The cure is my biggest concern. Why didn't I notice earlier that it wasn't fixing everything?"

His claws tightened upon her shoulders. "You can't be expected to do everything."

Her eyes flashed. "If not me, who? This power is both a burden and a responsibility. You know I take that very seriously. If I can't help everyone, then I need to know what I need to do to be stronger. What if one of us gets hurt badly and I can't fix it?"

"Ladybug." His words were a sigh as he pulled her into a hug, one that tightened when one of their miraculous chimed. "You're not in this alone. Maybe I need to be stronger as well."

"All your powers focus on destruction, Chaton. Even if you want to help with this, I'm not sure that you can."

We'll find a way." He assured, too bright teeth gleaming white in the dark. "I promise. Even if I have to buy out the whole cheese section of the grocer to get my kwami to talk."

His hand reached up to palm his neck, but his normal half-awkward smile changed into a quick wince and a muffled groan as he drew his hand away.

Ladybug's frowned, circling around to his back desperate to assess the damage. Her hands pressed on his shoulders, tugging him down just enough so she could see in this low light.

An angry red mark, marred the tender flesh just behind his ear, just below where his hair set. If someone was looking closely, they might even recognize it.

"It will be okay." He assured, plastering a wide smile on his face. "I'll put something on it when I get home."

Her fingers hovered apologetically just above the area, as if wishing she had the power to take it away could make that happen. "You shouldn't have to. If someone saw this, they might put two and two together..."

"Maybe that's not the worst thing in the world," he murmured.

"What?"

"Ladybug, who else got close enough to see?"

She bit her lip. The Akuma hadn't gotten too close to either of them, not after they saw she had a nasty range. "Just you, I think."

His eyes darted down as his ring chimed again. "Do you trust me?"

She met his gaze, first at the ring and then locking with his. "I do, but I really don't want-"

"I know," he whispered, claws dancing above the space where the scar was surely already forming on his neck. "I know how much keep our identities secret means to you. I just need to know that you'll believe me when I say I won't try to figure it out who you are."

"I trust you, Chat Noir."

"Good." He glanced at her earring warily. His eyes were still trained on her as he bounded up to the ledge. "It's my job to keep you safe. But, if I ever do find out, please know that I will keep your secret. Just as I'm sure you would keep mine."

Her eyes widened. Chat leapt to the roof across the street with only seconds to spare before her transformation broke.

Tikki hovered over her shoulder, tiny eyes wide. "Oh no, Marinette. Your hair!"

Her legs gave out, heavy as she was between her own weight and the burden of worries. Marinette chuckled darkly. For better or worse, she had no choice but to trust her partner to protect her secrets even though she had failed to protect them both.

It had been a such lovely night.


	4. Chapter 4: Escape Artists

It had been along week. Hawkmoth attacked five days in a row. Patrols weren't so much a luxury as a necessity. He was ramping up his game.

The break in patrol was necessary, just to let them both catch their breath.

"So, my Lady..."

She barely stifled a sigh. The only problem with these joint patrols was that Chat Noir tended to get….chatty.

Ladybug groaned, closing her eyes as she leaned back against the roof. Even in her own head she couldn't escape the puns anymore.

He tilted his head, glowing green eyes wide like curious Chaton that he was.

Bemused despite herself, she shook her head. "What is it?"

"Just thinking about what we ought to chat about tonight."

Her eyes narrowed. It was official, they were spending far too much time together. He was definitely rubbing off on her "Well, there isn't that much we can talk about without starting to get into dangerous territory. It's so important that we-"

"-Keep our identities secret." He grinned, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm well aware. It is just important to me to know all about each other as we can. And it is nice to know that we have a few things in common outside of the suits. Like a love of Ultimate- Mecha Strike III."

She smirked. "One of these days. I will school you on it."

"Any day, my lady." He mock bowed from the ground, glowings eyes slitted to mask the mischief.

"It does make us a stronger team. And it helps to know what we're thinking without telegraphing to the Akuma." She folded her fingers together, thoughtful as she stretched her arms overhead. It wouldn't do for them to linger here too long, but she wasn't willing to let her muscles entirely cool while they rested. "We just need to be careful."

He nodded, barely able to stifle a yawn.

"You alright?"

"Just tired. It has been a long week. Between homework, and Hawkmoth, and...helping with the family business."

She smiled. "I know exactly what you mean. I just kind of wish we could get a little bit of a break."

He turned on his side, propping his head up on one arm. "It makes me wish we could just tell someone. Just to get a little bit of help sneaking away whenever an Akuma does attack."

Ladybug chuckled, scrubbing her hand over her face. "There are only so many times you can sneak out before a teacher starts to send a note home worried about your health. Or your absences."

Chat's claws tapped on the rooftop. "Or get out of class early before they think to follow up and check on your excuses."

"Or classmates calling to check on you when you have to leave in the middle of a class project."

"Checking at home..."

"Or heading right up to your room." She shuddered. Alya's bad habit had left so many close calls. And she was super fast! "And friends can be way more nosy than teachers."

He nodded. "It's nice that they care, but..."

Ladybug crossed her arms. "We've been lucky so far."

Chat Noir winced. "Luck doesn't tend to break in my favor. And Akuma keep tending to show up at the most inconvenient times."

"I know," she grumbled. "I hate when the Akuma get close enough to where you are that you have to leave your friends. I can't help but worry if they are going to be alright. Or if they might get worried enough to come looking for me."

His eyes widened, almost imperceptibly, as he nodded. "Like at a park. Or in the library."

Ladybug forced her eyes away, trying very desperately not to think about how close the Akuma kept appearing - at which parks and which libraries. The overlap was a little too uncanny. If Chat had noticed, it didn't seem to bother him as much as it was bothering her. She was not going to think about just how close Chat Noir must be to her in her normal life. She was not. Her brain couldn't help but try to mentally tie the dots together.

It was way too risky. For both of them.

When she dared to look up, his eyes were locked onto her face. "Do you think he's following us?"

She blinked. Hawkmoth? "I think he can tell just about where we are." Ladybug murmured, thankful for the distraction, however brief it might be. "That's what worries me."

She closed her eyes, hoping her partner wouldn't pick up on the fact that it wasn't the only thing worrying her.

"But if he can tell where we are, how can we be sure that keep our identities secret won't still harm the people we care about?" She could hear the frown in his tone. "It isn't like we can hide our miraculous away. We need to be able to move at a moment's notice."

"We need to talk with our Kwami." Jaw set, Ladybug rose to her feet, offering him a hand up. "As soon as we can."

No matter what she said or did, it seemed inevitable that something was about to give.

Then there would be no escape for either of them.


	5. Chapter 5: Pow!

Prompt: Right Hook

* * *

He had forgotten who's brilliant idea it had been to start sparring. His feet bounced beneath, agile and bouncing his weight around, feeling the little bit of give in the roof below his feet. His body was ready to shift on a moment's hesitation.

Chat Noir's grin widened, the split second the smirk hit her face, and her arm spooled back, as is she was about to spool back her yo-yo.

The rush of air whooshed beside his head. "Missed me, my lady."

She stomped her foot rather adorably, half squinting into the dark. "I would! if you'd just hold still..."

"Now, now. Where is the fun in that?" He smirked at her ire, relishing how her eyes flashed. "Besides, very few of the Akuma stay still. We need you to be ready for whatever they usually throw at me,"

Ever since "Simon Says", Hawkmoth tended to focus on putting her yo-yo out of commission. It was like he just realized how much power it gave her.

They had talked to each other, talked to their kwamis, and the consensus was to diversify their fighting styles. To fight any which way they could. Of course, this meant fighting with anything they could pick up, but also working on a bit of hand to hand.

He been forced into a cat fight of his own a time or two himself.

But protecting his Lady came first. So, he took it upon himself to make sure she would be prepared for a very bad day.

It had only taken a night or two to adjust her form properly, but LB's right hook was impressive. Her instincts were amazing. Like the rest of her.

Thankfully, his ability to quickly dodge was equally as impressive.

He cracked him knuckles, wiggling his claws. "Come at me with everything you've got."

"You're sure?" She looked uncertain.

"I'm ready for it."

With half a shrug, she was already in motion, circling him slowly first, assessing him for weakness. His eyes narrowed, watching for her tell. They'd have to work on that one later, preferably when her fists weren't directed at him.

Chat had no choice but to keep his eyes focused on her, as she built up speed.

He might have been a little too focused on her in motion, expecting her to mimic her previous form: to plant her feet, for her arms to prepare the motion.

He should have known Ladybug would get creative.

She was fluid grace in motion, Of course, she didn't bounce around like he did. Her every movement was smooth, confident until the moment she used her spin to draw him for the sucker punch.

He had been expecting more of the dead on hit. Instead the momentum of her forward half circle of motion had her moving forward. They were both a little too dangerously close to the edge of the roof the few.

In that split second, Chat's protection instinct warred with self-protection instinct. He grabbed her, cushioning her fall, against the safer bit of roof behind him.

Ladybug's startling blue eyes widened,realizing the scope of the predicament just a fraction of a second too late. She had pulled the force of her punch as best she could, but her fist still connected with the corner of his lip in a glancing blow, before she had time to change the direction of her motion and slow her speed.

"Pow." Chat grunted, rolling backwards on his heels, as her momentum carried them both to the ground against his chest.

"Oh!" She gasped, drawing out of his hold just enough searching his face for injury carried carrying her mostly into his arms.

He tenderly, prodded the tip of his tongue against his now sore lip and winced. That was definitely going to smart later.

Her hands drew up to his shoulders, tugging him down so she could see him a little bit better in the growing dark.

Her eyes raked over his wound, gloved fingers almost grazing the skin above his lips, before darting away, It was as if she was just realized what she was doing. How close they still were, her legs bracketing as she kneeled above him on the ground. .

He tried not to frown at the cool air that rushed in as she sped away, masking his disappointment with a joke. "Right in the kisser."

She rolled her eyes, as she drew herself up out of the tangled pile they had made on the ground. "You must be feeling well enough if you can joke about i."

He winked as she offered him a hand up. "My lips are sealed, my Lady."

Ladybug arched an eyebrow at that. "Don't tempt me, Chaton."

She shook her head as she stalked away, her hips swaying as she recovered her yo-yo from the other side of the roof.

The side of his face that was not currently bruising, curled up in a smirk

Oh, if only….


	6. Chapter 6: Foggy

The warm air rushed over the chilly ground, letting a slow slide of white mist engulf the streets.

Ladybug met Chat Noir's eyes. Sharing a half nod, they propelled themselves into the skies, sailing through the air to evade the growing haze as best they could.

The traffic below had slowed to a crawl. As they sped away, Ladybug spotted with growing relief that many Parisians stayed put or ducked into buildings. But it wasn't long before the fog rose up to the rooftops, obscuring heads and soon whole building from view.

By the time their feet hit some of the taller rooftops, the view was no better. Between the darkness of dusk and the still rising fog, visibility was practically nil.

Her grip on her yo-yo tightened. Running was no longer an option. They had to act quickly.

She looked over at Chat Noir, his dark suit already fading to grey in the mist. He definitely had better vision in the dark, but this was more reliant on his other senses. She trusted him to be their eyes.

They just both had to hope that his kwami was also giving him a enough of a boost.

"Can you see anything?"

"Not all that much, my lady." He frowned, the green glow of his eyes a bit more eerie than normal as they broke through the haze. Tapping the edge of his baton against his boot, he mulled aloud. "Though I had an idea."

"Go ahead." She smiled, nodding him in encouragement.

He took a half step back, spinning his baton to try to push the mists away, like a fan.

Ladybug frowned at the little of bit of mist he'd cleared. "It is surprisingly effective, but I can hear how it must be wearing you out." His breathing was labored, pained from the heavy exertion that came from keeping the baton in persistently sustained rotation.. He hadn't had to do that in a while, and it had worn him out last time, too.

"But if it helps-"

"I can also use my yo-yo if it comes to it." She crossed her arms over her chest, listening as he lumbered close enough to her to spot the familiar green glow of his eyes through the short distance between them. "I need you to conserve your strength, Chaton. We are sure to need it later."

"Any ideas, Bugaboo?"

Ladybug huffed, making her displeasure at the ridiculous nickname known. She was certain that she could see his insufferable smirk, if she'd set her yo-yo to spinning. But they both needed to be prepared for whatever this Akuma had in store.

"I'm not sure." She bit her lip, desperately listening to the city below. It had gone quiet. Unnaturally quiet.

One big question kept pulsing angrily in the back of her mind. What good was a lucky charm if she couldn't see to use it?

Chat had lingered closer to her, breathing slowing back down closer to normal. The only other sound she could make out in the near deafening silence.

"I wish we had a decent idea for where to look. If they waited long enough, it was sure that the Akuma would come looking for them."

She took a half step forward, wanting to get a closer look, before realizing her mistake a half second too late

Her foot had been placed poorly, gravity sliding her down the now slick incline.

Ladybug was flying blind in free fall, but surprisingly she didn't fear it.

Chat Noir hadn't hesitated. He grabbed her, his arms winding around her shoulders. She felt him shifting their positions, trying to insulate her from the fall, tossing his baton away wildly.

Her eyes followed the direction on his baton, flinging her yo-yo out and catching hold on pure instinct alone. They were are to drop the final few feet back safely to the ground. She left her yo-yo looped to the baton to mark it's place. She'd left her arms still looped around his neck to try to clear her thoughts.

He was there, before she even knew she needed him.

She hadn't even thought to ask. Not that she had the time in this particular instance. Not that she ever had to ask him.

She wove her fingers into the hair just above his ear, scratching him affectionately. "Thanks for the save, Chaton."

He practically purred under the attentions. "Anytime, my lady."

Chat Noir was thinking of her and what she needed. Always.

They would make it through this somehow. They always did.

Even if she couldn't see anything else, that much to her was a clear as the bright light of day.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

I'm behind schedule and trying desperately not to read anyone else's entries to try and bring something a little new or different.

Hopefully, I can play a bit of catch up soon, but I am out of town this weekend.


	7. Chapter 7: Purring

He really must not realize he was doing it.

Ladybug was now absolutely convinced. If he knew just how adorable she'd found it, he'd be playing it up even at the worst times.

It wasn't her fault that what with living above the bakery, pets were never really an option.

It just meant that her Chaton- and his endearingly absurd tendency to purring - was as close as she was likely to get while she was still living at home.

* * *

When it had happened the first time, she had scratched under his chin in reward for his cleverness. The rumble had spilled from his lips for only the briefest moment. She had half convinced herself she'd misheard it, as they were running off to chase down Animan.

The race to find and protect Kim left her little other time to do anything other than roll her eyes and smirk as she had yo-yoed towards her own roof.

Chat Noir might be a little dorky and over the top, but the purring seemed to be little much, even for him

* * *

The second time, it was her touch that had been on accident. She had barely grazed under his chin when she'd tapped on his bell.

Glowing green eyes had widened, drawing a strangled rumble from his throat. He'd plastered a too bright smile on his face.

But she'd heard it this time. She was sure of it.

There was no doubt in her mind he'd been surprised. Her move to tap his bell had been as well telegraphed as her usual battle plans.

* * *

This third time had been an experiment, set into motion by her own curiosity and a little too much down time speculating on her partner's antics..

He'd done well today, listening to her fervent request not to be unreasonably reckless.

She had almost lost him again a few nights back and tonight he been another far-too close call.

He hadn't just pushed her out if the way to take the hit himself, he'd tackled her, rolling them both out range of a full blast.

In the moment, she had been tempted to praise him, but the Akuma was having none of that.

Only after the battle had ended and the butterfly fluttered on pure white wings into the sky, their fists had bumped on the rooftop.

Her fist lingered in place as her curiosity thoughts drifted back and won out.

She smiled softly up at him, leaning into his just enough that her fingers ruffled the messy mop of hair, scratching the scalp between his true ears and the feline pair atop his head. "Thanks for listening, Chat Noir."

"It's my purr-leasure, my lady." His kittenish ears twitched, the blissful smile on his face widened lighting up his whole face.

Then that true, low rumble came again, as his eyes had almost glazed over.

It wasn't until she chuckled, that the focus in his eyes had sharpened, startled at noise he was making. His ears - both sets - had perked, recognizing the sound for what it was.

"Oh!" A blush darkened his cheeks, his claw snapping up over his embarrassed smile to stifle the noise. "I didn't..."

Ladybug inclined her head but made no move to move her hand away. "Did I say it was a problem, Chaton?"

They only had a few minute to spare before they needed to go their separate ways,

As his blush faded slowly, he'd pressed his head closer. His eyes closed as he reveled in her touch.

It was only then that she allowed herself an amused smile, as the tense muscles in shoulders relaxed and he let himself purr.


	8. Ch 8: Ride or Die (Possible Spoilers)

The clouds covered the moon, silver light dusting the edges of the clouds as they'd hovered past. The humidity was high and the scent of fresh fallen rain permeated the air, leaving the grips on the rooftops more slick, requiring more care.

Ladybug had no idea that this night would be like any other.

Not until her partner had landed heavily upon the roof of Notre Dame, grasping the arches with his claws.

Chat Noir reached out to her, looking lost and more than a little alone. His green eyes were wide, haunted.

That surprised her.

She hadn't expected to see her partner look quite so broken. Her brows wrinkled, clear even behind her bright red mask. "Chat Noir?"

* * *

His hand drew back, shaking and unsure. His head bent down, eyes scanning the sky for some sort of answer to his clear predicament. He had come to join the penitent, celebrating vespers in the church below.

"I'm sorry, Ladybug." His voice cracked, tail drooping lifelessly.

He met her eyes, expecting steely blue...not the compelling bright blue that glimmered by the light of the moon.

He wanted to tell her. He had to tell her, in fact. But it would leave everything all wrong.

She'd leapt across the arches, looking down at his pitiful form. Offering her hand to him in ignorance of how bad that this was all going to get. "What on earth is wrong?"

He winced. No matter how much he wanted to protect her-from everything he could-this was one secret he couldn't keep. Ladybug wouldn't forgive him.

He bit his lip. She might not forgive him anyways.

"Chaton." Her hand squeezed his shoulder, encouraging and urging him onward.

He inhaled, desperate to steady himself. "I know who he is."

Her wide blue eyes darkened with fear for only a second, before the blue turned to steel. "You mean…?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Him."

Her eyes narrowed, silently focusing out onto the night for a few tense moments, before she turned her gaze back to him. "How did you figure it out?"

His shoulders slumped slightly. "You don't want to know."

"Chat." Ladybug's nose wrinkled, her voice softer. "I'm asking because I do."

His glowing green eyes locked with hers. "You don't want to know who I am."

* * *

She was floored. Never, in all this time that Tikki had assured her that the secrecy was absolutely necessary, had she considered a scenario like this. "Well. You're right, of course...but-"

He grabbed her hand, green eyes flashing wide, dark slitted pupils wide. His head shook. "But I can't tell you how I found out who he was without revealing who I am."

She was only silent for a few seconds, considering the impossibility of this situation.

* * *

He didn't dare look at her face.

He didn't dare to hope, until he felt her hand pressed to his cheek. Her voice was warm, her tone soft. "Chaton."

His eyes crept open, locking with the gleam of light in hers. His gaze darted to her playful grin. Her fingers trembled, betraying the little bit of anxiety she so clearly shared.

"I think need to know."

Chat Noir held his breath, nodding. The weight of his burden substantially lessened as she grabbed an equal half onto her own shoulders.

This was new territory for them both, but they could weather it together.

Ladybug trusted him at least that much. He would trust her in every way he could. No one else but his amazing partner was as capable or as caring. There was no one else he would rather have at his side, working to once and for all correct all the chaos his father had caused.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Yeah, yeah. I know half the fandom thinks Hawkmoth isn't Gabe.

But I made and assumption and ran with it for the sake of this ficlet. I could see canon going either way, but we'll have to wait and see what the writers truly have in store for us. Just roll with it for the concept. :D

Thank you all again for the lovely feedback. You all are amazing. *hugs*


	9. Chapter 9: Petty Arguments

adybug narrowed her eyes at the edge of the baton that tapped lightly against her shoulder. Her hands set in fists on her hips before she spun on her heel to reach for her yo-yo. Darn that cat was quick.

Glowing green eyes danced in amusement, as his baton retracted in a noisy snap. Chat Noir tipped two fingers to his forehead in salute. "I'll cat-ch mew later!"

She rolled her eyes and then snapped her eyelids shut, setting her jaw in mild frustration. This might just be training, but that boy couldn't be serious even if he tried.

Ladybug pressed her gloved red hand over her eyes for good measure. What was the point if all this if she saw which way he had headed? "Thirty seconds."

Her ears caught wind of his chuckle, but she forced it out of her mind. Chat Noir was sneaky enough to use that to confuse and slow her down.

* * *

It took a while - far longer than it had taken Chat Noir to find her - but she finally tracked him down.

His tail waved just above the roof line.

She snagged him with her yo-yo, tugging him back upright by the tail. "Lying down on the job? For shame." She clicked her tongue.

He was grinning madly, amused green eyes darting back to where her yo-yo tugged at his tail. "Guess I've just been caught in the act."

Ladybug grumbled as she bounded away. This was training after all, but he was for too determined to turn this all into a game.

* * *

She slowed her breaths out of an abundance of caution, pressed her back against the stone of the chimney.

Chat's feline senses were far too acute...he could probably even hear her breathing if he managed to sneak in close enough.

Ladybug bit her lip. It kind of wasn't fair. Her partner was much too good at this. She was the one who needed work. To press every advantage she could muster for those days where he couldn't get there fast enough.

Her hand grabbed for the edge to peak around the side, and she was a bit stunned to be staring right up into his eyes and that impertinent grin. He balled his hand into a fist, tapping it lightly against her knuckles. "Aren't we quite the tag team?"

"Can't you ever be serious?" She grumbled.

His brows furrowed, as he backed away. "Not if I can help it."

His tone was softer, not as brash and showy as usual. Something about it made her worry.

Ladybug sighed, crossing her arms. "What is it?

He was strangely silent, hanging his head as he replaced his baton in it's holster.

She wasn't mad at him. Well, not entirely. He could stand to be more serious from time to time. She was more disappointed with herself. Was she so bad at hiding? What was he doing that she was missing?

But she hadn't meant to hurt him. "Chat Noir. Something is clearly bothering you. You can tell me, you know."

"It's just...I'll try not to say too much. I promise" His steel tipped toe tapped lightly against the rooftop beneath their feet. "I can't often be or say as I wish. My...family...is very strict. I have a lot of expectations placed on me, and I can't run the risk of upsetting...them."

"So all this time is an escape of sorts?" Her head inclined as she struggled to take that all in. Somehow this wasn't exactly what she'd expected from her ridiculously over the top partner.

"Got it in one, Bugaboo." He winked at her brazenly. "Somehow saving Paris seems like less of a burden when I get to spend it in such lovely company."

Ladybug pressed back on his nose lightly with a cheeky grin of her own, reestablishing a far more comfortable distance between them. "So this is all an act?"

He blinked. "Not really. It is who I wish I had the confidence to be all the time. I have spent so long trying to please my father…"

Her arms crossed at that. "Wouldn't he be proud to know that his son was saving the city?"

Chat Noir chuckled darkly. "I would hope so...but it it's not like I could tell him. And even if I could, I'm not sure how high being a superhero would rate against keeping a pristine reputation."

"Well," she pulled his shoulder down just far enough that she didn't have to stand on her tiptoes just to ruffle his hair. "You'll also be a hero to me, Chaton. Even if your family can never know."

His eyes slowly tracked to hers, as if he was somehow stunned by her admission. Once he turned his wide-eyes gaze was focused sharply on her, he only paused to blink. Until his lips curled up softly, his slitted pupils appearing larger than normal. "Thank you."

She tapped at his bell, forcing her eyes away from his. "I mean. You're definitely a dork. But there is no one else I would rather have at my side."

"Puns and all?"

Her eyes rolled, but she didn't bother to suppress her smile. "Puns and all."

His brows shot up, smile widening. "Glad to hear it, my Lady."

Her smile softened as Chat Noir bounced on the balls of his feet, suddenly full of kittenish energy. She'd figure out his tricks yet tonight. "Are you ready?"

"Absolutely." He nodded, his grin returned to full force. "Let's cut back to the chase."


	10. Chapter 10: A New Look

_A Follow Up to Chapter 3: Explosion_

* * *

It had been too much to hope that he had been the only one to see.

Chat Noir had barely hit the floor in his bedroom and popped open the tabs for the Ladyblog on the computer before he had seen the photo footage of Ladybug's damaged hair.

He shook his head, releasing his transformation and settling down behind the keyboard. Plagg wasted no time, diving for the stash in his mini-fridge to gorge himself.

He winced, as his hand grazed over the still sore wound at the back of his neck. He would need to treat it soon.

But for now, he would protect his lady any way he could.

* * *

She rubbed her eyes, dragging herself out of bed in spite of the early hour. She hadn't slept well, but thankfully, it was the weekend. Even Tikki was still asleep.

She rifled through her drawers, gathering a fresh outfit and quietly getting dressed before her parents noticed she was up and about.

If her Mother noticed her hair, there would be far more questions than she would know how to answer. No one else saw through her lies better than her mother.

Gingerly, she finger combed around the damaged section pigtail, examining it in the mirror with a grave expression. She tugged both ribbons out of her hair.

Change was coming. She had kept it this way for so, so long. But now, it seemed like she had no other alternative.

Tikki could only console her for so long before one thing had became clear: even with all of her fantastical Kwami powers, Tikki couldn't fix her hair. Making adjustments to the suit itself was one thing, especially as her body grew. But Tikki's powers didn't extended to fixing aspects of her own body, even if was to conceal her identity.

She had shut her phone off and closed her eyes to the rest of the world, but she wouldn't be able to shut the world out for too much longer.

If Hawkmoth had any sense of decency, she'd at least get a few hours to deal with this mess before she'd been called in to fight whatever new threat he'd found to throw at them.

With a sigh, she tied a pink scarf around her hair, hoping it would obscure the damaged ends for now.

She jostled a still-sleepy Tikki from her tiny, pink bed in the desk drawer. Her Kwami's tiny hands, running her eyes. "Marinette?"

"How long do you think it will take to make the hood?"

Tiny blue eyes blinked, narrowing as they registering the scarf. "Since it is temporary? Just a few minutes, I think."

* * *

It was almost noon when Chat Noir could stretch his legs again atop the now hot rooftops. He didn't dare stay in one place for too long. Not while he was desperate for any sign of Ladybug.

He knew she must be worried. He had even coerced Plagg into transforming again at home just to see if he could call her up and check on her.

But it was as if Ladybug had gone entirely silent.

At least her namesake blog had come through in a big way.

He had only made the suggestion that Paris band together to protect his Lady.

Alya, ever quick to pick up and run with an idea, must have spotted it as the likes built up on his comment and ran with it, encouraging everyone to go and get a trim or a cut in solidarity.

The #shehasourback #wehavehers campaign was trending like wildfire. Users were posting selfies left and right. Salons posted images of their long lines, some even calling in all their staff for extra support, even on the weekend.

If Hawkmoth was watching for one girl to change her hairstyle, they would give him thousands.

He grinned, recognizing a very familiar pair of blue eyes coming out of one of the hair salons near the school. "Marinette!"

He waved, when she looked up, startled.

"Chat Noir?" Her hand drifted to fuss with her locks, her signature pigtails now notably missing. "Is there an Akuma nearby?"

"Nope," he grinned, sliding down to street level on his baton. "Just out searching for Ladybug. You went all out with the hair. Are you going to post a selfie to the Ladyblog?"

"I…" She blinked, a frown passing over her face for the barest second. "I...don't know. Maybe?"

"You should." He grinned, patting her shoulder. "It's really cute. I know Ladybug will appreciate your support."

"Uhhh…" Her eyebrows rose. "Thanks?"

"Not at all. Thank you, Princess." He winked at her, before turning on his heel and bounded back up to roof level.

His lady had to be out here somewhere.

* * *

Once Chat Noir was safely out of sight, Marinette pulled out her phone, ducked into an alley, and looked up the Ladyblog.

Her hand covered her mouth to stifle her gasp.

Tikki flew up onto her shoulder, safer in the shadows. "I told you everything would work out, Marinette."

She nodded, although words were failing her at the moment. She wasn't even sure how long she spent, scrolling through page after page of pictures. Leaning against the chilled brick wall as she pored over Alya's campaign announcement. Memorizing every single work from the lone, anonymous post that had started the movement.

Marinette was never more thankful to be out of her suit. Someone would definitely have caught a picture of Ladybug crying.

Unless she missed her guess, she had a certain kitty to thank.

* * *

Ladybug ran atop the roofs, yo-yo in hand and open in a desperate sprint towards Chat Noir's location.

He was always protecting her. Even when she'd been convinced the situation was hopeless.

She closed the screen, sure she was headed in the right direction and sent the yo-yo flying. She'd move much more quickly, once her feet left the rooftop.

Chat Noir had even told her her hair was cute. With just a few words, he'd suppressed the tide of self-doubt that still was there...even if she knew logically that those doubts weren't anywhere near as important as keeping her friends and her family safe.

Not that he knew it was her when he had spoken them.

Not that he even knew they were the words she'd needed to hear.

When she'd spotted him, his face lit up as he spotted her, halting in place as he'd waited for her to land.

He hadn't anticipated that she wasn't going to slow down.

"Ooof!" He grunted, as her momentum carried her into the hug that nearly sent them both sprawling back onto the roof. She didn't dare say a word, burying her face into his neck as her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

With a reverent care so his claws didn't accidentally scratch her scalp, Chat Noir smoothed his gloves over her hair. "It looks lovely, LB."


	11. Chapter 11: Sultry

It was hot. An oppressive heat with a stifling humidity that lingered in the air for the past few days that made everything feel about tend times worse.

It would be a sharp relief once the muggy air, condensed enough to drop and cool the streets...when the rain finally fell. If it ever fell.

It was hard enough just to breathe. But Hawkmoth never was one to leave well enough alone, sending out a new Akuma, Heat Wave to make everyone even more miserable.

Already into the second hour of the fight, it was a struggle just to stay focused.

Her arm shielded in front of her face, sheen of sweat from fighting beading at her temples and dripping beneath her mask to sting her eyes. Tikki did all she could to make the suit cool, but making it fireproof was a bit more essential at the moment.

It was hard to get ahead while neither of the them could safely get close enough to use her Lucky Charm.

This battle had already gone one far longer than either of them had anticipated. The sunset painted the sky red orange of the final hour of light, which did nothing to let her pretend the air was cooler than it truly was.

Chat Noir was batting at the Akuma with his baton extended to almost maximum range. "Chill out, man."

The Akuma screamed in rage, steam literally coming out his ears as he sent a rush of bright, hot flame licking up along the edge of Chat's baton.

Yelping, Chat Noir dropped his baton as the extra flare of heat conducted across the metal. .

Sighing, Ladybug sympathized far more than she wanted to admit aloud. Her partner and his puns were ruthlessly efficient provocation on a more normal day, but all the heat just made her that much more irritable.

But, no matter how irritating he happened to be, she really hated to see him hurt.

"Ugh." Chat swiped the back of his glove over his forehead and winced. Leather (or something that looked remarkably like it up close) did not absorb well. "This is so not cool."

"Holding up okay, Chaton?"

He nodded, shifting back into fighting position, claws extended at ready as his eyes locked with hers. "I will be, bugaboo."

She turned to a nearby mailbox. "Think you could jostle that loose for me?"

He nodded. "Though I might kill for something to drink right now."

"Tell you what," she smirked. "We finish this up and we can both go grab some ice cream. My treat."

His grin widened. "I'm going to hold you to that, you know."

She snorted, calling for her second Lucky Charm of the day - a pair of sunglasses. Her eyes stayed on the Akuma, watching for any sudden moves.

"Cataclysm!" Prickles of darkness danced beneath his claws, as he sprinted to unseat the mailbox loose from its bolts.

Ladybug roped the metal box with her yo-yo, jumping up into the air so she could sling it around like a pendulum to give them an appropriate distance back. She tossed Chat Noir the sunglasses with her free hand and smirked as he snagged them out of the air.

Their usual positions were a bit more reserved than normal, but she was entirely pleased that it only took her clever kitty a few seconds to catch wise to her plan.

She loved it when a plan came together.

* * *

Unfortunately, her plan for ice cream was not nearly so successful.

Both had taken a few free moments to recharge before trying to grab an simple ice cream cone.

As they had, shooed off the citizens of Paris well away from the battle zone, it seemed like everyone had a similar idea. They had stopped at shop after shop only to find apologetic owners sorry to inform them they were entirely out of anything cold.

"We'll find one, I'm sure." He smiled, as the leapt back onto the rooftops to head to another store to check.

Ladybug frowned. If it was already this dark, most of the shops would be closing up soon. "I guess we could always just do this another time."

"Nope!" Chat smirked over his shoulder. "You promised ice cream, Ladybug. I'm going to see through to my just desserts."

She shook her head, far less irritated now.

It had taken a total of four shops, but they finally ran into one with a solid stash of vanilla ice cream. They just had one, sad looking waffle cone left. The shop owner had handed it over to the pair of them along with two spoons to make it a bit easier to share.

"A man after my cone heart!" He smirked, looking every bit like the cat that got the cream, but still managed to gratefully accepted this cone in his hand.

Ladybug rolled her eyes at his antics, turning back to shop owner, who insisted they take the treat at no charge.

They walked back outside into the night. The air was still warm enough to send the treat into sticky rivulets dripping down the cone in short order.

Chat Noir was still puzzling out how to balance the spoon across his claws, when she snagged a bit, sneaking it past her lips.

"Mmm!" She murmured in delight, her eyes half-lidded as she savored the chill and the sweet, rich taste. This was exactly what she'd needed after the long, hot day. Although a shower once she got home would go a whole lot farther in make her feel more comfortable.

He had watched her wide eyed, his lips parted. He had barely even blinked as she'd snuck another bite. And then another.

She smirked in amusement, tempered slightly by furrowed brows. The cream was going to drip down his hand if he didn't start eating soon. "Not hungry?"

With a quick shake of his head, he'd darted his tongue out, taking a swipe of the untouched side of the cone.


	12. Chapter 12: Communication

High above the streets of Paris, Chat Noir gasped for breath. His hands gripped his knees.

After he had sprinted the whole way across town after wrapping up an evening photoshoot, he had arrived just in time to shield Ladybug from a nasty hit, knocking what little breath he had managed to hold onto in the process.

It was hard enough getting away from school for photo shoots. If the class wasn't mostly reduced to screaming or sheltering in place away from the windows.

But getting away from a photoshoot? That was way harder.

There had to be a better way of getting there faster.

"You alright?" Her hand rested on his shoulder, her lovely blue eyes marred by concern.

Chat Noir blinked up into her gaze, wondering how he might not be alright with her looking at him as she did.

She frowned as her earrings chimed. "No rest for the wicked, Chaton."

"But which one of us is wicked, bugaboo?" His mouth twisted into a smirk, his voice hoarse and strained. "Not sure I even remember what rest was like."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Right now? It's a little rough." He huffed, laying back onto the rooftop. "I barely got here in time."

Her arms crossed, in thought. "You didn't hear the explosion?"

"I was stuck inside for hours." He sighed. "If not for the sound of the explosion, I'd probably still be stuck there. I couldn't even get to my phone to check the news for updates."

Ladybug's eyes narrowed. "It isn't like this is the first time."

He nodded. "I know. And I can't stand the thought of not getting here fast enough. It isn't even like I could call to let you know, since I couldn't transform myself."

She leaned against the wall beside him. "We need to find some other way to talk to each other…especially if one of us has to travel or gets sick."

He closed his eyes. "Cell phones?"

Ladybug dismissed that outright. "That would only lead to trouble. Either we'd have to give each our numbers and we'd probably figure out each other's identities-"

He chuckled. "I'm still not sure I'd complain…"

She glared at him, waiting him to grow quite and contrite. "Or we'd have to get burner phones. And I don't really have the spare money for that."

Chat Noir smiled back at her. "It's no problem if you needed me to buy both, LB."

Ladybug shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm not sure I like that idea either. We'd have to carry around two phones all the time. And I have at least one friend who is super observant and super curious. It would mean a lot of extra questions."

Her earring chimes for the second time, as she started to pace.

"How about a Chat Signal?"

She snorted. "Not likely, you dork."

His claws snuck behind his neck, propping his head up and away from the cooler building materials. "Can't you just picture it? Glowing green eyes, hovering out into the night."

"Ugh." Ladybug snorted, murmuring. "That sounds like something out of one of my nightmares."

His smirk widened, as he rolled onto his side, propping his head up. "And what, pray tell, have you been dreaming about, my Lady?"

She blushed lightly. Ever the trooper his Lady blustered her way through. "That's for me to know and you to never find out, kitten. Anyways, that wouldn't work because of the logistics. I can't be both setting off a signal and heading to the scene."

He nodded sagely, as her earrings beeped again. They didn't have long before she had to go. "What if we commented on the Ladyblog?"

Her brows rose at that. "That...has some possibilities. Like if we picked an older thread with not too much traffic."

"And figured out some sort of code, so anyone else wouldn't necessarily be able to figure it out."

"Like the girl who runs the Ladyblog."

He nodded. "Right. We'd just have to create new IDs for it."

"New IDs?" She smirked.

"What?" He flushed beneath her scrutiny. "She has some pretty interesting theories…"

"I know. I've read her blog, Chaton." Ladybug grinned, stepping up onto the ledge to dash off. "I guess I'll create one tonight."

"I'll be watching for you, my Lady."

She winked back at him, as her yo-yo string caught across the alleyway. "I'll bet I can find you first."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments. You are totally making my day with every single one. 3 3 3

Arrives 24 hours late (without Starbucks). But I brought drabbles...so yay?


	13. Chapter 13: (Spiderman) Kiss

Chat dangled upside down after a mid-air catch, suspended by little more than a magically enhanced thread.

That was nothing unusual.

That rapid descent, feeling the fullest force of gravity beckoning him back to earth.

Been there, done that.

The not-so-subtle fear clawing at his mind and icing his veins as towards he hurtled toward the ground,

the chill of the wind whipping sharply into his face. All because he'd tossed his baton away to save his Lady.

Sure, it had given him a nasty case of high anxiety, but that very thing had happened on a fair few occasions over the past few months.

But the peck on the cheek she had given him?

That? Well, that definitely was new.

The shock and terror of the fall hadn't left him breathless. But her kiss definitely had.

His eyes had been closed at the time. After that close of a call, he'd been tempted to whistle, trying not to think how dire it had been.

For a fleeting moment, he thought he had imagined the soft press of her lips against his cheek.

But when his eyes had popped open, her scent and her warmth had lingered.

Ladybug had blushed. "Of all the stupid, reckless things to do…" She'd trailed off, her fingers hovering over her earrings.

Hie feline night vision wasn't perfect, but it was clear enough to see the soft pink welling to her cheeks. To spot to growing panic in her eyes..

Well…" she murmured, reeling him slowly drop to the ground. "I'd love to stay and hang around and all…"

Chat Noir still sat on the ground, gaping. His claw hovered above his cheek savoring the warmth that seemed to linger there. Whether it was here or his, he still wasn't sure.

He was helpless to do anything else but watch her leap from building to build until he'd lost sight of her.

His heart clenched, smiling softly as he'd clawed his way back up to the roof.

He was never more certain that he was just as enamored with all the hard won grace she had earned over the past few months as he had been for her clumsy, tentative first steps into superhero-ism.

* * *

He had to wait three long, sleepless nights later for the next Akuma to attack.

Chat could hardly keep from blushing at the memory wondering if he had imagined the softness and warmth. He rather desperately hoped for a repeat performance to confirm the memory was in fact very real.

Ladybug had gone strangely silent in the wake of their normal post-Akuma celebratory fist bump.

Smiling softly, he had leaned towards her in breathless anticipation. What would she say? What would she do?

Those distressingly blue eyes had met his for an instant before they darted away, as if she were being chased by a whole Kaleidoscope of Akumatized butterflies.

Wincing, he let his claws fall away. They both had braved so much together, fighting side by side.

A growing part of him had grown selfish, willing her to stare him down as she had any of the Akuma they'd faced down. Fearless. Bold.

Instead, she bit her lip, tugging the soft skin with her teeth for only a spare moment.

His claws, grazed the base of his neck, his lips pressing together tightly. Why was it that he was frightening her now?

"I...Goodnight, Chat Noir," she'd murmured before dancing off into the darkness.

Not for the first time, he found himself cursing his rotten luck.

* * *

Chat Noir was growing restless, his actions bordering on reckless, determined as he was for the tiniest scrap of her attention.

Battle after battle, he pushed himself to his own limits, fighting even harder. He threw himself in front of more hits. He didn't shy away, not from one single Akuma.

The boxer Akuma that they were currently facing seemed more than willing to accommodate.

Chat Noir snarled at the Akuma, claws curling at the ready. He would protect Ladybug that much more fiercely. He wouldn't give her any more reason to let her be frightened of him.

Even if it meant abandoning his ill-fated hopes of a romance with his Lady, he just wanted her to be his friend again. To continue to fight at her side.

He could be satisfied with that. Somehow.

Risking a glance at her for only a second, he'd caught her nod back at him. Her gaze didn't dart away.

She had even smiled at him, before her eyes widened, suddenly terrified.

He hadn't seen the attack until it was too late. The Akuma knocked the baton from his grip and while his balance was unsettled knocking him back off the hotel's roof.

"Chat Noir!"

He relaxed his muscles, giving over to the inevitable as the familiar rush of air hit him. The Akuma was watching him fall, giving Ladybug the advantage to take him out.

It would be enough. It would keep her safe.

He exhaled and waited for the pavement to come. After all, it was hard to fall harder, when he had already fallen for her so long ago.

* * *

Author's Note: Is it over?

SPOILERS. :D


	14. Chapter 14: Accident

**Author's Notes:**

Sequel fic to Day 13: (Spiderman) Kiss

* * *

It was an accident.

She hadn't meant to kiss him. Not really.

Her fingers strayed to her lips, trying not to focus on the rather surprising feel of loss after the desperate, fleeting contact.

Ladybug inhaled, closing her eyes. It was just the tide of emotion, the sheer terror of watching Chat Noir fall.

* * *

Ladybug had barely gotten into position in the nick of time.

The distance was much too high, his descent was far too fast. He had been far too reckless, and she'd have only one opportunity to catch him. This one chance meant far too much.

She could let herself think about it. She didn't dare.

When she thought, she got caught up in her thoughts. And she, really, truly couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

Please.

She aimed, clearing her mind and letting the Ladybug confidence take over.

Please catch him.

Her eyes following the shot, her lip worried something awful at the realization that the slightest bit more wind might have made all the difference between catching him and not.

Please let him be safe.

She didn't breathe until after she'd snagged him from the air, as he'd swung safely to a stop.

And it was as if the dam had broken loose. She'd wanted to hug him. To shout at him for all his recklessness.

But she was practically shaking, her words failing her as his lips curved up at her.

Hadn't he realized what a near thing it had been? It could have all gone wrong in so many ways. Would have gone wrong if she had doubted her powers for even one more instant.

It was like she'd used every scrap of Ladybug confidence on that throw that had saved him, leaving her just with her own woefully inadequate self-confidence.

She still wasn't even sure how it had happened, aside from her moving forward. She certainly hadn't planned to kiss him. She had just closed the distance between them, gasping in relief.

In that moment it had felt right…maybe even necessary. She wasn't sure what she would have done if she'd lost her partner. She couldn't even imagine trying to handle any of this without him.

She wasn't even sure what her life would be like without him in it.

When she'd pulled away, he had looked nearly as shocked as she felt.

At least now she wasn't panicking because she feared she was going to lose him.

Her words - her confidence - had abandoned her entirely.

She would have to deal with it later. Her partner was safe for now.

And she did still have a butterfly to catch.

* * *

It had been days since it happened, and she really wasn't sleeping well.

Visions of Chat falling to his demise were haunting her nightmares, with her helpless to do anything but watch. She would wake up gasping, a sticky sheen of sweat, matting her bangs to her forehead, her pigtails to her neck.

When she fell back into a fitful sleep, her mind would wander to the smell of leather and night. His warmth. The unexpectedly softness of his cheek.

The shock in his glowing emerald eyes, that melted into something warm and sweet. Pure curiosity pinned her in place, so she couldn't chase after butterflies. Not this time, while in the safety of her dreams.

At least she could sleep a little; but when she did wake up, she was feeling extremely guilty.

After all, Chat wasn't who she was supposed to like. He wasn't who she was supposed to kiss.

She felt distinctly unfaithful. Not that she could really find her courage to tell Adrien she liked him. Not that she could explain to Chat what was going through her own head. Not when she wasn't even sure she'd understood that herself.

Tikki had tried to help her work through everything in her head, but she kept spinning her wheels. It still confused her greatly how she had managed to talk it through, but even that hadn't been helping. She just wasn't sure what she'd wanted.

That just made her feel even more selfish.

* * *

It was one thing to try to pretend nothing had happened in the heat of battle, but once the pressure of battle had ended, tension had rushed in, filling up the void.

She needed to talk to him...and soon. She wouldn't stop hearing about it from Tikki. But what exactly was she supposed to say?

"Hey?" Sorry for kissing your cheek. I don't seem to understand my limits?"

"Sorry for confusing you. I'm not even sure what I want, and I'm amazed you still even want to be friends with me. Let's not even get into the fact that I can't act on my crazy crush."

"I'm just glad you're alive. I was worried about you."

He had leaned closer, extending his hand to her like an olive branch in the wake of a particularly long battle, giving her the chance to tell him something.

Anything.

But it seemed like just being Ladybug had exhausted her reserves of confidence.

Ladybug bit her lip. It was killing her to see him so sad...when she was so clearly the cause. It wasn't fair to him, but her mind was no closer to giving him any sort of meaningful answer.

The hurt was naked in his eyes, as his gloves strayed to the back of his neck.

"I…" Her eyes locked with him, but the words wouldn't come.

Ladybug winced and turned on her heel to head home. She didn't want to leave, but their time was already limited.

"Goodnight, Chat Noir," she whispered, swinging away.

She still didn't have a good answer for him. But she was going to have to figure it out soon.

* * *

Ladybug grit her teeth, tossing her yo-yo at the boxer Akuma. Tikki was right. She had left it too late.

Days had passed. She still wasn't any more certain of her feelings or her hopes for a path forward.

But her Chaton had grown tired of waiting. He was reckless, even more so than he had been on that fateful day not even a week ago now. He wasn't waiting for signals and plans.

Chat Noir snarled at the Akuma, claws extended as he leapt forward to attack.

Troubled, she'd watched him, scanning for her opportunity to strike.

The Akuma had thrown him back and Chat was back on his feet in an instant, eyes narrowed and claws curled.

She'd caught his gaze for just a second. She allowed herself to smile. Just that simple act meant it was far more likely for them to fall back into their usual rhythm.

He was watching her. Waiting for her.

If she was being honest, that alone left her a little breathless.

Her eyes flashed as she'd registered the rogue motion a split second too late, the Akuma throwing the baton across the roof and knocking him down the roof.

"Chat Noir!"

This time, she didn't even hesitate, the yo-yo spiraling out of her hand to catch him. Ladybug threw her own weight off as a counterbalance, hooking the string over a steady looking beam on the way down.

Ladybug dropped in pendular motion, still swinging as he'd come to a sudden halt tangling them both together in her yo-yo string. He dangled up by one foot and her right-side up, their heights uneven but their faces were mere inches apart Just enough to make it easy to talk to him if she felt so inclined.

And perhaps even if she didn't. It had been far too difficult trying to find the right words. Not with him staring back at her, lips parted.

Her gaze darted back up along the rooftop, scanning for some sign of the Akuma to jump down. It seemed the Akuma thought better than to take the shortcut they had.

Dragging in a ragged breath, her hand cupped his cheek, tilting his lips down just enough to reach to hers.

It had only been a few seconds. That was all the time that she would dare with an Akuma still running loose. Time still felt like it was slowed.

"Wow." His green eyes were wide, blinking as he pushed away just enough to meet her eyes. They never left her own, never marking the blush on her cheeks that was surely bright enough to match his own. "Ummm...Was that an accident?"

Ladybug hesitated, considering only for a moment. She smirked, tapping a gloved finger to his lips. "Not this time, Chaton."

His grin was slow, his eyes dangerously soft. "I'm glad."

Closing her eyes, Ladybug pressed her forehead to his. "But, really. You can't be so reckless, especially if the middle of battles. I hate when I have to worry about you like this…"

Chat Noir's grin widened, eyebrows waggling. "If you wanted a captive audience, all you had to do was ask, my Lady."

Ladybug's eyes narrowed. Shaking her heard wearily, she heaved a heavy sigh, snapping the yo-yo back and letting him drop the final few feet to the ground. Her hands fell to her hips. They still had an Akuma to capture. Perhaps her partner would settle down and be a bit more serious later.

The surprisingly tender smile had never left his face, even as he'd rubbed his head, righting himself at her side.

Then again, she mused as her lips curled up slightly, he probably wouldn't.

She knew him far too well.


	15. Chapter 15: Animal Instincts

Follow up to the Chapter 7: Purring

* * *

"Umm...Sure thing, Madame Chamack." Marinette chirped into her cell phone, her fingers nervously tapping on top of her desk. "I'll just be over in a little bit."

Tikki hovered, her blue eyes seeing far too much. "What was that all about, Marinette?"

She rushed around her room to get ready, scanning for the handful of toys that Manon adored. "Manon got a new kitten, so Madame Chamack asked if I wouldn't mind coming to their house to babysit. "I mean, I'm used to a big cat, right? How hard could it be?"

Her smile was just the slightest bit strained.

"Oh, Marinette." The kwami sighed, her tiny hand patting her charge's forehead. "That's not really the same thing."

* * *

She had spent the better part of a week helping out in the afternoons at the Chamack's as she could. Madame Chamack apparently had some big story just about to drop and Hawkmoth had been suspiciously quiet.

That kitten could scratch. She had the claw marks beneath her gloves to prove it.

She had handled the occasional cat stuck in a tree while she was wearing the superhero suit.

It just didn't make sense why that one little kitten decided to be so aggressive with her and left Manon alone.

At least the little dear loved to cuddle up on her lap whenever Manon settled down for the night, making the sweetest little rumble when she'd scratched behind its fluffy ears..

* * *

That night, Chat Noir seemed to have even less concept of personal space than ever.

He hovered, even closer to her than normal.

"Ouch!" He'd even managed accidentally scratched her neck with his claws during one of the many times he had sidled up next to her.

"Sorry!" Chat had grimaced when she winced in pain.

His green eyes were wide, his jaw set in concentration as he had tugged away at the pigtail, a sad smile ghosting across his lips. It's hadn't been enough to draw blood, but it did leave a raised scrape of skin on her neck below her pigtails.

She frowned, her gloved hand cool against the newly inflamed skin.

Chat Noir was usually so careful with his claws.

* * *

The next night was even weirder. She honestly hadn't thought it possible.

Chat was still lingering close. His green eyes averted from hers when they first met on the rooftops before patrol. He slid a small box over to her, the lettering on the outside far too familiar.

Her eyes widened, in startled recognition of small box of macarons from her parent's bakery.

Desperately, she bit her lip, hoping to stifle her panic.

Chat Noir did not that he knew that.

Not that he could ever know that. She sighed, trying to force the persistent question of just how he had gotten ahold of this box.

"They're really good." He murmured reassuringly seating himself beside her quietly. "I promise."

With a nod, she bit into the macaron, savoring the familiar, light taste. She felt his eyes on her.

Chat Noir's head was still bowed, his anxious eyes had strayed to the horizon. His feline ears has twitched, turning fully to the side.

"It's okay, Chaton." She sighed. It was almost like he hadn't believed her, even as often as she kept telling him so. "The scratch really is almost fully healed. It hasn't even hurt since the first day."

Glowing green eyes meet with hers, as he lightly butted his forehead head against hers. "I really am sorry, Ladybug."

She ruffled his hair with a sigh, allowing herself a quiet smile as he'd broken into purring again, snuggling closer.

* * *

The night after that, she didn't even get the chance to wonder. Hawkmoth was back, attacking in full force. She'd barely had time to hit her own roof before she'd de-transformed.

Marinette slumped into her lounger on the roof, as Tikki cuddled up on her shoulder. "I just don't get it, Tikki."

"Oh, Marinette." Tikki chuckled, a sage smile quirking her lips upward. "It's like I've told you. The bigger kittens are so much harder to deal with. In fact, Chat Noir's kwami goes out of his way to make sure of that."

Marinette chuckled as Tikki's arms crossed, patting her kwami's head affectionately.

Tikki's blue eyes met hers, gleaming even in the dusk. "But I promise you, you will never find a more fierce, more protective ally. Even if he can't quite suppress the feline tendencies."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Thank you so, so much to the amazing people who have taken the time and trouble to leave reviews. You are absolutely making my day!


	16. Chapter 16: Confidante

Chat Noir was grumpy and irritated from the moment he had stalked up onto that first rooftop.

His father just didn't understand. He didn't want to understand.

He'd tried to let go of it all in the sprint to their designated patrol meeting spot.

Ladybug could tell whenever he had a bad day. She'd let him frown and stomp, even let him complain if he'd kept it vague.

His alter ego gave him the luxury to wear his heart on his sleeve where the continual hyper focus on keeping up to the refined standards of the Agreste name did not.

But it wasn't like she could really help him much. They had these rules for a reason.

He'd had to content himself with her fingers ruffling his hair or - if he was in particularly dire straights - a friendly hug.

* * *

Her eyes widened the moment he had landed on the rooftop beside her. Her hand was extended out to him before she'd even realized she'd done it. "Are you alright?"

His green eyes glowed through the darkness. His claws gripped into fists still trembling as he stalked the tiny easement

Ladybug winced, hating the fact that she couldn't do more to help him. She truly didn't understand his situation, but that didn't mean she wouldn't empathize with her partner's pain. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What good would it do?" Chat hissed. His clawed hand dragged up over his mouth, a half effort to pull himself back into a more even temper. "It never really changes. Even if I could tell you..."

Her gloved hand fell on his shoulder, feeling the muscles relax under her hand. "I know."

"You really don't." His eyes locked with hers over his shoulder.

"But I wish I did." Ladybug bit her lip. Not for the first time, she found herself wishing she could just let Tikki come out and explain the necessity, with literal millennia of bad examples for why it was safer for them and the people they cared about.

She wasn't sure he would hear. Or that he was even in the mood to listen.

Not that it would be possible to bring Tikki out without revealing herself anyways.

"Chat Noir." She murmured. "It's not like I don't want to tell anyone, you know?"

She wasn't sure he would hear. Or that he was even in the mood to listen.

"I get it. Our Kwami's most have seen it all go bad time and time again."

She smiled sadly. "Even I sometimes wish I could tell someone, even if it was just for all the little inconveniences. To just have someone understand how hard it is to sneak away. To stay on top of the homework. To keep "

Chat's eyes were focused entirely on her. "You could always tell me."

"I know, Chaton." She sighed, sitting down on the rooftop, her eyes straying to the dim light of the stars that peeked through the spaces in the clouds. "And I appreciate that. No one else could ever even understand this like you do."

He was silent, hesitating only for a moment before he'd settled himself down beside her. He'd left the barest inch between them, but she could still feel the heat emanating from that side.

* * *

How was it that just her presence alone was comforting? He was forever lost in that absurd blue of her eyes. The gentleness of tone of her voice was soothing his demons.

Her hand melded over his, and he silently cursed the gloves that otherwise kept him safe.

Her eyes narrowed, suddenly serious. "But even if you wanted to, you couldn't be right next to me throughout the day, to help me sneak away or to cover for me. No matter how much you might want to."

He frowned. "You have someone you want to tell."

Ladybug blinked. "I have a couple of close friends." Her nose wrinkling up adorably. "I'd love to tell my best friend, but she can be really nosy. And reckless."

He grunted, flipping his hand over to better mesh with hers. "Probably not the wisest choice."

Her toes were tapping against the stone, anxious. "There is also her boyfriend, but then my friend would be mad at me...and him for keeping it quiet."

"No one else then."

Ladybug went silent and still, a dark blush seeping into her cheeks.

Chat Noir's eyebrows furrowed. What was that all about?

She'd busied her fingers, fixing one of her red ribbon that had locked her into placed. "Ummm...there's maybe one other. But I don't really talk to him very often."

He stared at her, incredulous. "So you'd trust him with your biggest secret?"

Her jaw set, blue eyes flashing. "I said I _didn't_ talk to him. Not that I didn't want to. I wouldn't like him if I didn't think he was someone I could trust."

Chat Noir sat stunned, his eyes wide. He couldn't keep the frown off his face, despite his best effort. "You have a crush, my Lady?"

"Honestly, Chaton? Why is that so surprising?" She rolled her eyes, a sad smile plaguing her lips. "I _am_ a teenager. It seems like that kind of goes with the territory."

He nodded, his hands falling useless and abandoned at his side. It certainly did, at least in his experience.

Of course, he'd had the misfortune to fall in love for an amazing girl...who just happened to have feelings for someone else.

She sighed, her eyes a little more distant, her posture a little more slouched. "Maybe it is a little silly, but it would just be nice to have the boy I like think that I'm not such an awkward mess all the time."

His hand patted over hers. "I'm sure he wouldn't think that, my Lady."

He knew for a fact that he wouldn't.

"Ahh…" She murmured, her smile was pure self-deprecation. "But you see, you don't know me outside of the mask."


	17. Chapter 17: Tension

Particle physics was usually one of his favorite things to ponder.

Usually.

Of course, he was usually thinking about it while in the relative safety of his classroom, where he typically had ample time to dart away to the toilets to transform before an Akuma decided to crush him.

Right now though, while he and Ladybug dangled by a thread, the tension so clearly held the the few braided strands taut, sailing well above the rooftops with only the fairy lights from the building below to guide them through the darkened skies.

They wouldn't even be up here except for the fact that they couldn't travel fast enough on their own.

They had tried, but after the first few hours, they were both run a bit ragged. The Akuma wouldn't even stand still long enough to states even its name before darting off in yellow blur to create more mischief.

But that had been hours ago, when they could see that yellow blur in the daylight.

It wasn't long before it became clear that the Akuma's goal was to wear them down so they were so tired that plucking off the miraculous would be a cinch.

He had grabbed the higher part of the string, fashioned his own sets of knotted loops, but her makeshift handhold was somewhat less than ideal. They had been in a rush to snag the helicopter before it swerved up into the sky.

There just hadn't been time.

But for now, they were just along for the ride.

* * *

The first few minutes hadn't been nearly so bad.

After catching a free ride, they had swooped between the eaves of the building, having more than one close call, as the yo-yo string swerved them dangerously close to more than one building as the helicopter gained altitude.

But after another another ten, swaying through the air well above the rooftop line, Ladybug was looking a little green, holding as fast as her gloves would allow.

The vibration running down the length of the string was crazy, even through his thick leather gloves. It wasn't so much of a surprise as they'd dangled from the back of the helicopter.

It was that vibration that had him worried most, even as they rocked back and forth in pendular, wave-like motion. Forcing them both had to hold on for dear life, as it could shake them both off at any moment and they had to be ready.

Chat Noir had been wracking his brain, desperate to remember this slightest detail from their class that might bring them to reduce the vibration - or barring that the constant back and forth swing - to see them both through this safely.

"Doing alright down there, my Lady?" He shouted, his voice barely carrying above the noise of the rotors.

Ladybug grunted, her own eyes slammed shut, her gloved hands tangled into a knotted loop of string and the edge of the yo-yo itself.

She must have heard him, if just barely. One of her eyes peeked open from barely a foot below him.

He was definitely taking more of the vibration, but the sway had been tossing her around like a rag doll with that extra foot of string beneath them.

He frowned and she must have noticed, because her own eyes darted down, her steadying hand holds slipped as they are riding the wave of motion as the helicopter tipped forward slightly.

Instinctively, she reached out for him. Her muscles tensed, squeezing his stomach a little too tight for comfort.

Ladybug was clearly freaked out. She wasn't even looking at him.

Instead, her heard was buried into his stomach, her pigtails whipping about in the heady wind.

He bit his lip. Not being in control of the motion was making her panic, and he knew his lady wasn't a big fan of trying to see in the dark.

It was already all up to him to act as their eyes right now, if he could tear his concerned gaze away from her.

It would have been far more adorable if she wasn't actively trying to squeeze like a tube of toothpaste. Seriously. Didn't that girl remember just how strong she was?

And let's not forget falling to an untimely demise without her yo-yo retracted to possibly catch upon the nearest rooftop.

Seriously, Chat, he chided himself mentally, darted an anxious glance straight down at the streets rushing past below.. Let's not forget about that.

Chat Noir clenched his jaw, letting the wave of vibration chatter his teeth together for a split second before thinking better of it. He wanted to get them both down safely, but there was hardly a faster way to cross the city to find this Akuma that could literally race across town.

He wanted to check to see how close they were. But he didn't dare move his hand over to his baton.

He couldn't risk it falling from this height. Not when they would definitely need it.

Right now, they were barely coasting low enough to find an occasional rooftop. He was watching, waiting for the best time to strike. He wouldn't have long to balance his grip on one hand and snag his baton from it's holster, extend it enough to snag a building.

To pull them cleanly away fast enough to support their weight. To allow her to retract her yo-yo.

To somehow still have enough power to find this speed demon and slow him down enough to pin that butterfly down.

Frowning, he tensed his muscles allowed his balancing hand to slip it's hold to tap her neck, willing her to open her eyes and dare to look back up at him.

She might barely be able to hear him, but she had to be ready.

They both did.

* * *

"Please wait until the Chat has come to a complete stop to disembark." Relief slumped his shoulders, he slid them both off the base of his baton. He'd never been happier to be back on the ground.

Her face - what of it he could see peeking out from behind the mask - was still ashen white, matching her knuckles as they'd clenched around her yo-yo.

But at least she was rolling her eyes, the scarcest smirk tilting her lips. She had yet to loosen her hold on his shoulders, and he wasn't about to complain. Her voice was little more than a thready whimper. "Let's never do that again. Ever."

He chuckled into the night.

That sounded like an excellent idea.


	18. Chapter 18: The Writing's on the Wall

Prompt: Midnight Hour

Sequel to Chapter 12: Communication

* * *

Marinette spun in her desk chair. She'd spent the better part of the last hour scouring the LadyBlog.

She just hadn't had any clue what name to pick for herself.

"C'mon Marinette." Tikki sighed. "Don't you still have a bit of homework to finish up?"

"I do," Marinette murmured, her eyes narrowing at the screen. "But Chat Noir is definitely on here already. He's not one to back down from a challenge."

She smirked, fingers dragging the mouse down the comments. She just had to find him.

Tikki grumbled, settling down on the pillow beside Marinette's bed. "He's not the only one."

"Hmm?" Marinette inclined her ear towards her Kwami, but couldn't tear her eyes from the screen.

Tikki yawned pointedly. "I said, 'Goodnight, Marinette'."

Marinette smiled, pulling her eyes away only for a second to watch Tikki tuck herself in.

She stretched, cracking her knuckles and wiggling her fingers over the keyboard.

She'd go to bed soon, really.

But right now she had a kitty to catch.

* * *

Adrien grinned at the screen. He'd been posting for the better part of an hour, but there had been no sign of her yet.

He'd been posting in a few threads with fairly light activity. Busy enough to not be dead, but low enough to probably be below Alya's notice.

Flipping on his notifications, he'd puttered over to change into pajamas and work through his nighttime maintenance routine.

He was halfway through brushing his teeth when Plagg phased in through the door.

 **ThatDarnChat:** Ugh. Really?

 **ThatDarnChat:** You've got to be kidding me.

 **LuckBeaLadyBug:** Don't you mean kitten me?

 **ThatDarnChat:** No. Definitely not that. At all.

Adrien chuckled. He could practically envision her eyeroll.

His mind was desperate to envision in without the mask.

 **ThatDarnChat:** Your name is ridiculous.

 **LuckBeaLadyBug:** I figured it was a fitting tribute to my favorite superhero.

Adrien climbed into bed, stifling a yawn as he stole a peek at his cell phone on his night stand.

Somewhere out there, his Lady was probably cuddled into her own covers just like he was, typing out a reply.

He'd kept one open, just in case she was still up to reply.

* * *

Marinette hadn't been able to mask her yawn, tapping her fingers over the screen.

She'd managed to get to school on time, but she had definitely stayed up way too late.

Alya arched a brow. "Late night?"

"Yep," Marinette smiled. "Inspiration struck."

Alya shook her head. "Girl, you can't keep staying up that late."

She returned a weary smile. "I had to get it down on the page, honest."

* * *

Chat Noir bounced on his heels, springing into a leap over the alleyway below. "What if made mention of the thread, whenever Alya posts new news, or if the news beats her to it."

Swinging across the gap and landing few feet away, Ladybug nodded. "Just a single word though."

He grinned. "Just to point each other in the right direction."

* * *

It was only after a whole week of late nights, that is had become clear that Alya was starting to get suspicious.

She'd waved it off with a excused she'd used a hundred times before, but Alya would only accept a new project for so long without asking to see details.

"Hmmm…" Alya frowned, her piercing hazel eyes tilting over to her from time to time during the lesson.

Marinette bit her lip. For right now, she definitely had nothing to show for it.

She'd buried her head in her textbook and hoped Alya wouldn't notice.

* * *

They had only gotten to the lunch break before Alya had managed to catch her off guard.

"It's funny," Alya murmured, her eyes turned diligently to her phone.

"Huh?" Marinette's eyes were definitely wider than they needed to be. "What is?"

"I get these weekly reports on my blog," Alya grinned, ever ready to talk shop on one of her very favorite topics. "And it said chatter went up by like 10% this week."

Marinette tripped, barely catching herself in time. She chuckled awkwardly. "Isn't that just...normal from time to time? People like to make comments on the pictures and the reports, right?"

Alya scrolled through the report details. "I guess, but there really haven't been that many attacks this week."

"I'd think that was a good thing? Doesn't it mean you're just getting more traffic for your site?" She hadn't even noticed that Nino and Adrien had joined them as they walked out until Nino spoke up.

Adrien huddled in, right next to her! She was so anxious about Alya, that she almost didn't notice. Her fingers twisted around her purse strap.

"Maybe," Alya squinted down at her screen, pressing her lips into a thin line. "I think I need to check into the numbers."

* * *

"So you want to chatter more, LB?" Chat Noir slid down the baton onto lower level of the rooftops, matching her pace. They'd have to run a bit to catch up to the proper speed soon, but for now they could take their time. Patrol had been relatively quiet all week. He smirked, catching the ocean blue of her eyes in the dusk. "Not that I'm complaining…"

Ladybug sighed, her fists pressing into her hips. "I've heard that the Ladyblog girl is super suspicious. I'd kind of like to throw her off as best we can."

Chat grinned "What exactly are you thinking?"

"Well, we still need to consider speed as a factor."

"And it would need to be a code that doesn't obviously look like a code. To not set off any warning bells."

She pressed her fingers against her lips. Right. We could hide it in the chatter. Or use a phrase."

Chat's eyebrows waggled. "It could always be puns."

Ladybug snorted. "Do you honestly think you could hold yourself back to just one pun per every few hours?"

"That's true," he grinned, smile half-lidded. "How else would you appreciate my genius?"

* * *

Nino squinted at the vibrating cell phone screen as it lit up on his nightstand.

 **Alya:** OMG!

 **Alya:** Nino! Omg!

Nino fumbled, stretching out his hand onto the bedside table, hoping that he'd eventually manage to snag his glasses.

 **Alya:** Nino! C'mon!

He shook his head, his fingers slow and careful as he could barely make out the screen.

 **Nino:** Alya wth. It's past midnight.

His phone rang not even a few second later, and he pressed the green button to answer almost as soon as the vibration registered.

Nino sighed, thankful he had never turned the sound back on again after school.

Alya was practically bouncing on the screen. "Ohmigod! Nino!" She gushed, "It's happening!"

He pressed his hand to his face, peering back at the screen. "I'm not awake enough for this."

She grinned. "Trust me, if this doesn't wake you up, nothing else will!"

He sighed, pulling the phone closer to his face. "Alright, then. What's up?"

She got really quiet for a second, smirking clear on her face, although the details was still pretty fuzzy. "Gotta say, I'm liking the no glasses look here."

"Alya," he warned, squinting back over at the nightstand and finally finding their glint in the darkness.

"My ship, Nino." She cheered,. "My ship is sailing."

Nino slid his glasses onto his nose, waiting for his brain to catch up. "Wait. Which one?"

Alya grinned.

* * *

"Marinette!" Alya half-shrieked as Marinette walked in the classroom. "You've got to see this. It's adorable."

Adrien peered over at the two. Alya was even more animated than usual, but Marinette was clearly looking about as tired as he felt. Try as he might, he just wasn't quite a night owl.

Marinette's eyes popped, handing the phone back to Alya and dropping down into her seat. "Umm. I guess that's cute?"

"What are you talking about, girl? This boy is totally flirting."

Marinette frowned, her brows furrowed heavily. "You think so?"

Alya shook her head. "Guess we need a guy's opinion then."

Tapping her finger on her lip, Alya made a show of scanning the room before locking eyes with him. "Adrien. You're a guy" Alya set the phone into his hand, her grin looking oddly predatory. "Let us know what you think."

* * *

Marinette just gaped, totally not-so-silently freaking out. She definitely squeaked.

It was bad enough that Alya had definitely found the comment chain, where she and Chat Noir were communicating in code.

But now she was asking Adrien - Adrien! - if Chat was flirting with her.

"Huh." Adrien blanched, his voice surprisingly shaky. He handed the phone back to Alya, carefully not meeting her eyes. "Yeah...I can definitely see how you might think so."

Alya shot a triumphant look at Nino, pressing the phone in his direction. "Here. Second opinion."

When Nino nodded, Marinette felt her stomach drop. She had been in literally mid-air freefalls that were less disorienting.

Her cheeks burned.

Had Chat actually been serious, after all this time?

* * *

 **MOD-LadyBlogger:** Inquiring minds want to know, LuckBeaLadyBug. Are you or are you not nursing a crush on ThatDarnChat?

 **MOD-LadyBlogger:** That actually had been the Frequently Asked Question of the Week.

* * *

 **LuckBeaLadyBug:** MOD-LadyBlogger: If ThatDarnChat wants to know, she only needs to ask

* * *

Marinette agonized about it for hours. She hadn't bothered to go out on patrol.

She could barely touch a thing at dinner.

Homework was definitely a lost cause, right now.

It seemed like all she could do was stare at her screen, her finger hovering over the unsent reply.

* * *

It had been almost four hours when her reply had finally come. It was already past midnight, but he knew without a doubt he would wait for her for as long as she needed.

Private Message

 **ThatDarnChat:** Okay.

Waiting didn't mean he wouldn't be prepared.

Plagg had been cranky when he had been jostled out of bed, but had accepted the chunk of Camembert and the inevitable journey with a surprisingly small amount of grumbling.

He pressed send on his own reply and dared to hope.

 **LuckBeaLadyBug:**

If you want to know,

you should really go

To the place where

I fell for you.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Reviewers, favorite and followers folks, likes, and re-bloggers: You are all amazing. Thank you all so much for your support.

I swear I grin like crazy whenever I get every single one.

A major tip of the hat to EnberLight for a nugget of an idea from her comment on Chapter 12 that resulted in this descent into madness. Thanks again!


	19. Chapter 19: Eiffel Tower

_**Follow Up to Day 14.**_

* * *

Chat Noir, ever the romantic, leaned against one of the few shadowed beams. It was a lovely night, hardly a cloud in the sky to obscure the nearly full moon above basking the night in pale glow, the chill of the evening sapping away the heat of the day.

It was a perfect night to stargaze, but that was hardly as enjoyable while he was on his own.

Chat sighed, tapping his claws against the ancient iron. He certainly hadn't intended to stay out this late - not without company.

He was supposed to be getting up early for a photoshoot. Not that he would tell her that. He would try to make up sleep in the car ride over first.

His lady only had to ask and he was here - with bells on.

He grinned into the darkness, hoping she would get here soon.

Puns were never nearly as fun when Ladybug would groan and roll her eyes.

She would not quite bother to hide the ghost of a smirk in those bluebell eyes, the curve of her lips. When he was sure he was particularly clever, she would sometimes even tap on his bell as she strode past, spurring him onward to be more serious.

She knew he was watching. She had to know he would see how long that little smile would linger, no matter how long she would shake her head and feign irritation.

Rolling his shoulders, Chat Noir stretched his muscles and shifting in place along the length of the beam.

His ears were perked, his eyes darting around in the limit of his view.

He was sure she would be here soon.

And he would be ready for her.

* * *

He didn't have to wait long.

Ladybug split through the night, like a crimson avenging angel, swinging onto the same platform with just enough upward lift to slow her momentum as she'd landed on the deck.

.Her eyes were scouring the platform for any sign of him.

Chat Noir exhaled, baton already in hand, rapidly lifting himself up into the beams above.

"Ugh," she grumbled from far below, spinning her yo-yo up to latch onto a beam near to where he was headed. "Why won't you hold still?"

Chat was never more pleased to have the ability to see in very low light. He grinned, noting that her lips curved despite the irritation in her voice. "Where is the fun in that?"

* * *

Ladybug huffed as she'd hit the same level.

Homework had taken far too long, leaving her a bit too tired for a normal patrol. She wanted to train today, and there was no way she'd manage to be out so late otherwise.

That didn't mean she wanted to spend the whole span of the hour chasing her kitten back and forth across the tower.

Glowing green eyes peered back at her from across the way, daring her to pursue. She was never more thankful for Tikki's seemingly boundless energy.

* * *

Ladybug's blue eyes flashed in vexation, her yo-yo snapping across the chasm to the beam beside him.

He was tempted - sorely tempted - not to run.

Chat almost left it a beat too long before propelling himself higher again.

She stomped, in an adorable fit of pique as she righted herself on the girder where he had just been standing. Her eyes had narrowed just enough for him to tell. "I will get you, Chat Noir."

He chuckled, turning his focus back up to the observatory above. They were practically there.

"I look forward to that, my Lady."

* * *

Frustration had spurred Ladybug on faster, her mind trusting her muscle memory more and fearing the potential fall somewhat less than normal.

Chat Noir was rapidly losing ground to run away. Nearly as fast as she was losing patience.

Ladybug feinted a move in a direction, delighted as Chat moved to counter it.

His eyes has widened in shock when she'd immediately reversed, catching her yo-yo thread around his ankle, and swinging him to a slow stop the beam beside her just beneath the observation deck.

She had closed the distance between them as he'd righted himself, grinning as glowing green blinked back at her in return.

Chat Noir took a half step away, backing him into the beam.

Her lips curved up she'd slanted her lips up to meet his, pressing him back against the beam as she'd balanced on her toes.

Chat groaned into her mouth, when her fingers slid up, threading into his hair.

* * *

He'd groaned even louder a full minute later, when she'd pulled away.

His claws settled on her shoulders to steady her. His own legs were a little shaky and - powers or no powers - they were well over 200 meters up off the ground.

Mirth danced in her eyes, as she brushed her lips softly against his cheek. "I told you I'd catch you, Chaton."

He hadn't even seen her grabbing for her yo-yo. Not until she slid out from under his fingertips with a saucy wink, swinging back to the beams below.

His claws itched, as he beamed ear to ear. Chat Noir could reach his baton fast enough.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

*Hugs* You all are the best. I'm totally feeling gross this evening, but here I am, being dumb and writing anyways. Hopefully I haven't made too many dopey errors. ^_^;;;


	20. Chapter 20: Stay (A Little Longer)

Ladybug gasped, willing her muscles to relax in spite of the impact she intuitively knew was coming.

Relaxing was the only thing that would make it hurt less. The flash of blue knocking her back into the wall for what felt like the twentieth time in far too quick succession. She could barely manage to catch her breath and right herself, before the red Akuma sped forward, knocking her back into the wall again.

This Akuma was rough. It was literally double the trouble.

She'd been there, walking through the park with Alya the instant it had happened. She'd seen the young boys, having a tantrum in near-perfect sync with their mother struggling the calm them both as she'd tried in vein to tug them both home.

She'd tried to catch the butterfly, before it had ensnared them both, preying on emotions they were too young to understand and could barely control.

Her stomach lurched as she dragged herself back onto her feet. Her powers were not made to take persistent, direct hits like this.

But she couldn't stay down. She wouldn't let herself.

Those little boys needed her. That distraught mother needed her. The people of Paris needed her to keep them all safe.

Her eyes darted to the sky as the blur of blue raced towards her.

"Where are you, Chat Noir?"

* * *

Chat Noir ran, sprinting over rooftops, as if the devil were at his heels.

He hadn't seen the news feed until it was too late. Not until the Ladyblog footage showed Ladyblog was taking a beating.

He had been at a photoshoot all the way across town.. It was the third time this week that had happened. It was almost as if someone knew when an Akuma would appear and was trying to keep him away.

But that was impossible. He'd been so, so careful.

He'd followed the noise and the cloud of dust, the tips of his claws digging into his gloves.

He scowled at the picture below, watching as LB struggled to stand before she was knocked down again by the momentum. In an instant, he was on the ground, pulling her up before the pair of rock em, sock em robots could knock her back again.

Ladybug was slumped against his chest nearly as fast as he could deploy the baton and lift them both up into the air.

"They were just a little two much, weren't they my lady."

A shock of that burning blue pierced through her eyelashes. Grinning, he squeezed her a little tighter to his chest to ensure the position was as secure as as comfortable for them both to move

Darting a glance backward to ensure they weren't followed, Chat Noir breathed a sigh of relief when the twin terror Akuma stayed firmly on the ground. Their fists held high as both glared up at them.

He didn't even consider setting his Lady down until they both were safely out of sight.

* * *

Ladybug frowned into his shoulder.

Chat Noir was moving slowly, too slowly. It felt like every muscle in hter body ached, which meant that every step her partner took also left her feeling achy.

She needed to rest, needed to heal. To be able to let her muscles move without the ache, to have the proper speed she would need to take that out.

For that, she'd need Tikki to re-fuel. Her mind drifted as she tried to focus on something other than the wave of pain that currently flooded her body. She wasn't sure how Chat's kwami worked; it hadn't really been something they had ever discussed.

Ladybug lifted the hand that gripped onto his shoulder, tapping it enough to snag his attention. "Can we…?" She winced, her voice far more gravelly than she'd expected.

But he'd stopped the instant he'd heard, scanning around for the most stable space of rooftop to set up and re-group and set her down onto the rooftop as if she were made of glass.

* * *

"We need to get back to that terrible two-some soon."

Ladybug nodded, slamming her eyes shut as she gently set her head back on the softest bit of rooftop he could manage to find on short notice. "I need something for my kwami."

Chat Noir blinked, her voice had gotten a little stronger at least. And her request made sense. His eyes were already scanning the streets below for possibilities "What does he eat?"

"She," Ladybug smiled, "has quite the sweet tooth."

"Sounds easy enough." He smiled, tossing her a wink she was sure not to see with her arm up over her eyes. "Don't go anywhere."

Her chuckle was ragged. "Wouldn't dream of it…."

* * *

Ladybug sighed. Her breathing had calmed by the time Chat has returned with a whole dozen cookies, She had only just managed to pull herself up to sit, which was actually a bit more comfortable than it was to lay against the hard roof.

"I got a few different kinds. My kwami is very picky about what he will eat, so I figured it was better to be safe than sorry."

She nodded. "She'll appreciate that, but she's pretty easy to please."

Chat Noir's feet shuffled on the roof, as he stood back to full height digging his baton from it's holster. His ears flattened, his green eyes far less sure than he normally looked. "I guess I'll give you some time-"

Ladybug shook her head, placing her hand on his arm. "You don't have to go."

His jaw dropped and green eyes widened, blinking in disbelief. "You want me to…"

"I trust you not to look when I de-transform. You didn't before, when you'd had the chance." Her eyes softened. "Besides, you're my partner. There's no one else I'd trust more.

She exhaled, hoping she was doing the right thing. It was still pretty risky, even if her partner was on perfect behavior. "I think if you sit here behind me and face the other way-"

She hadn't even finished talking before Chat had leapt, scrambling to pull himself into a comfortable position behind her.

"We can try to plan out what we'll need to do to finish up the battle." Ladybug rifled through the bag of sweets he'd procured. They were sure to not be as excellent as her parent's cookies, but healing superheroes could not be choosers.

His voice was softer than she'd expected, as he leaned against her back just enough to reassure her of his position. "Sounds like a plan, my Lady."

Smiling softly, she'd handed him one of the cookies as the pink light of transformation washed over her gloved hand.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Better late than never!

Thanks again to all you lovely people for your support. You make all the weird hours of writing well worth the time! 3 3 3


	21. Chapter 21: Trusting

Follow Up to Day 20: Stay (A Little Longer)

* * *

It had been days. Days of the same thing happening, over and over.

These makeshift rooftop refreshes had become an everyday occurrence.

At least this time, he had gotten here in time. But the battle had been a draining one, and they were both so far away from the usual home base section of town that re-fueling their Kwami was the best course of action to see them both safely home.

Chat bit angrily into the cookie, his hands gripping his knees as Ladybug sat up against his back.

There was no denying it now. Someone knew.

They knew his schedule. They had to.

It was just too many coincidences. Too many days he'd spent scrambling across the rooftops of Paris because the Akuma was definitely being held on the other side.

Only to make it just in time to take a big hit. Or to lift her up and away.

Ladybug hadn't asked. But she was too clever by half. She had to suspect something, too.

Plagg noisily noshed on his particularly pungent hunk of Camembert, looking between he and Ladybug's de-transformed forms with avid, amused interest.

Ladybug's Kwami, Tikki, had sworn him to secrecy on their identities. Amazingly a threat from her actually worked.

He wouldn't have thought the tiny, sweet looking ladybug Kwami could strike fear in his own cantankerous cat kwami. But she didn't budge and he relented far more quickly than he had thought possible.

Remembering to tote around the extra fuel and actually toting it into battle was an added challenge.

That was the hardest part of all this. Camembert - at least good enough Camembert that wouldn't set Plagg to grumbling about the quality - was hard enough to come by. But mid-attack it was nearly impossible to track down something of good quality, and even harder to buy it without de-transforming.

This extra level of preparation had become an exercise in necessity. They were all exhausted, and Paris needed them to bounce back as quickly as possible to set everything back to rights.

He wasn't about to let Plagg give any less than his best. Especially not when he wasn't sure just who he could trust now.

His lips pressed together in a grimace. Nathalie had to keep his schedule limited to only a few select people. But what if someone in the company had access. How could he even ask someone find out without sending up red flags?

But that was the question. He wasn't sure how they knew.

He scratched his fingernails at the nape of his neck. "Ladybug, am I too trusting?"

She sighed, shuffling slightly against his back. "You're saying that like it is a bad thing."

"Isn't it, though?" He frowned, clenching his fists at his side. "I just...I hate this feeling. That I might have said something or done something - all without even realizing it - that is putting you in jeopardy."

Reaching out, she patted his hand. "I will be alright, Chaton. Tikki is amazing. She can do a lot to keep me safe."

"I've seen them knock you down, my Lady." He scowled, shaking his head. In that exact moment it was extremely tempting to turn around at the moment, to grab her shoulders and stare her down until she saw reason. Didn't she understand just how worried he was? Didn't she understand it was his job to protect her? He exhaled, forcing his gaze off into the distance. "We've had way too many close calls as it is, and I hate that I can't get here fast enough."

Ladybug went quiet, silent except for the soft cadence of her breathing. "You really hadn't said why you've been late."

He shrugged. "I'm not really sure what I can safely say. I have activities scheduled for me in advance. At nearly the exact time these Akuma keep appearing. When they come, I'm scheduled pretty far away."

"Oh?"

"Like the other side of town far away." Chat scowled, practically vibrating in irritation. "I start...what I'm doing on the east end of town and the Akuma shows up on the west end. The next day, I was scheduled in the Northwest and it shows up in the Southeast."

Ladybug's fingers laced with his.

"It's bad enough that I can't help but think Hawkmoth...or someone who Hawkmoth knows might know how I am and have access to my schedule."

He felt her collapse back into him, her head settling heavier against his back. .

"That's a scary thought…"

"Yeah," he breathed. "The question is...what can I even do about it?"

"We." She murmured, squeezing his hand as she corrected him. "What can _we_ do about it?"


	22. Chapter 22: Sharing Food

_Follow Up to Day 21: Trusting_  
 _Which was a Follow Up to Day 20: Stay (A Little Longer)_

* * *

He had somehow managed to get sweet from her family's bakery. It was surprisingly sweet...and equally troubling.

In the wake of the battle that had dragged on for well over two hours, her brain was kind of fried.

Ladybug was still wanting to ponder that out, but her body desperately needed to rest up. She had slumped against Chat. It was the oddest feeling. She felt terribly exposed without the safety of her suit. But her partner was literally at her back, and she would hardly feel as safe nearly anywhere else.

Her fingers laced with his. Chat was really worried.

"It's bad enough that I can't help but think Hawkmoth...or someone who Hawkmoth knows might know how I am and have access to my schedule."

Her eyes widened, her head half turned over towards Tikki. For guidance. For anything. Her kwami just frowned.

She slumped back against him, her head searching the sky for some sort of guidance. "That's a scary thought…"

"Yeah," he breathed. "The question is...what can I even do about it?"

"We." She corrected, squeezing his hand. Whatever it was that they could do, Chat Noir definitely wasn't in this alone. "What can we do about it?"

Tikki coughed. "I think Plagg and I need to discuss on this."

Chat Noir's kwami smirked on in pure amusement, as he flit over and swiped another cookie for Tikki from the bag. In fact, he was just a little too amused for his own good. She'd definitely seem that same look on Alya's face on more than one occasion and it rarely ever ended well.

Ladybug had also seen that frowning, distant gaze on Tikki before, and it was clear that Tikki was worried.

That just made her worry even more. Why was it that Tikki knew who he was and thought it still wasn't safe for her to know? At least, not just yet.

But why wouldn't Tikki want her to know? Chat Noir was in danger. And he was convinced that his apparent revelation to their enemy would only serve to put her in danger, because someone was actively trying to keep him away. And when would that person decide to change their course of action and come directly after him?

Wouldn't their mutual ignorance make things so much worse at this point? They were all in the mess together.

Tikki shook her head and locked eyes with her. "You two behave. We'll be back soon to discuss a plan."

Shaking her head, Ladybug glanced at the bag from her parent's bakery.

She squeezed his hand comfortingly, before snagging the bag of cookies. If they were going to sit here and be left to wonder while their Kwami talked shop, then at least they wouldn't go hungry. She was sure they both had already burned more calories in the battle than were contained in that bag.

"Have you tried one of the macarons?"

"Yeah." He rifled through the bag. "I've had a bit from their shop before."

"Oh?" Ladybug gulped. So he either remembered it from helping or he actually lived close enough to stop. Most people wouldn't go too far out of their way for cookies from a particular bakery - no matter how amazing her parent's baking might be. "Like what?"

"Hm." Chat's voice was softer than usual. She was trying to not think about it too hard. "I'm pretty sure it was quiche. But it was seriously amazing"

"Huh." She blinked. That was not something they kept on the regular menu. In fact her parents only usually brought that out for special occasions. Or for their own dinners. The sales on it had historically been much too variable until they were getting a larger than normal .

She gaped, her hands flying up to her cheeks, the shock the warmth reddening them into a severe blush.

It was only after her posture straightened, tugging her just the slightest bit away from him that he seemed to notice.

"What the matter, Ladybug?"

"So." She chuckled nervously, before cleared her throat with a vengeance. "Do you think you can keep a secret from Plagg?"

"Uhh. I guess that depends on what it is."

"Well, something in the way he was grinning tells me he won't really mind." She sighed. "But Tikki is definitely going to kill me."

"Why?"

"Because I know my parent's menu much too well, Adrien."

* * *

His eyes bugged out as he spun around.

Her lips were pressed together, a fingertip pressed to her own lips reminding him to be silent. Her cheeks were just as red as his must be.

He clamped his hands down over his mouth, his green eyes wide. "Marinette?" he mouthed, half in disbelief. How had he not seen that? She had been sitting behind him in class all year.

She nodded, her blue eyes carefully not quite meeting his. "At least we know, how easy it can be to slip up. I'm sure you wouldn't have thought it was an issue. And if I had been anyone else..."

Adrien's hands dropped to his side, dejected. How did he keep screwing this up?

"Hey." With a sharp inhale, Marinette steeled herself, smiling softly. "That's not a bad thing, Chaton. Especially, not when you've been so careful keeping your tracks covered otherwise."

Adrien tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Let's think of this as an opportunity." Her blue eyes flashed, her voice steady as it was mid-battle.

"Because you've been so careful to proceed as normally as you could, Hawkmoth won't suspect you're onto him."

He grinned, popping out his fist. "So we actually have the advantage."

"Right," she nodded, bumping his fist with her own.. "As long as you keep it up, and we both stay extra careful, we can take our time to figure out how you might have let that information slip...and to who."

"Yep!"

"And it should work," her voice grew just a little bit more shaky. "Just as long as we both pretend we don't know."

He gulped, spinning on his heel to drop back into where he had been seated behind her. "Yep!" Adrien winced as his voice wavered as well. "How hard could that be?"

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

In under the wire! Here's hoping I'm more productive (with fewer power outages) tomorrow!

Thanks again to all of you reviewers and those following and favorite-ing ! Each and every one totally makes my day. :)


	23. Chapter 23: Addictive

Adrien Agreste had an addictive personality.

His parents recognized it from a very young age and tried to curb the habits nearly as soon as they'd formed.

From the moment his tiny hands could reach the piano keys, he was forever drawn to that room, plinking merrily a string of strident, off-key notes. His mother played, sitting down with his as much as her schedule would allow.

After a terribly large, chocolate chip cookie half the size of his head, he developed a nearly insatiable appetite for sweets, so he was set up with a nutritionist and set on a very regimented diet. This was just common sense. His mother had been a lovely model. His father ran a major fashion house. Modelling was literally in his blood...and in his future.

When it had come time for school, his parents opted to have him be tutored. Between their travel needs and his growing modelling schedule, trying to get accommodations from the school administration looked to be a challenge at best.

He was fond enough of history and the sciences, but he had a great love for the written - and spoken - word.

Instead of getting the chance to go out into the world and make friend, he watched relationships on the small screen and in comics, growing fond of stories and characters over and over again. He cherished the clever use of language as high humor. He emulated the banter and comedic timing in the mirror.

Then he would plaster on a smile and plastered on the fine manners that had been drilled into his head, over and over.

The more he came engrossed in one thing, the more time Nathalie seemed to put on his schedule for a new activity.

When he's spent too much time with entertainment, his father deemed that he would be enrolled in fencing, which was one of the only sports sufficiently high brow enough to maintain the family honor.

* * *

On the first day he tried to go to school, he had met a girl.

He had been so excited to go - only to have Nathalie and the gorilla beat him to the door. Stopping to help the older man who had fallen had only been the right thing to do.

Instead he'd watched the television from home, only to watch a super villain emerge on the screen, crashing his way onto the streets of Paris.

It could have been a story straight out of one of his anime. Right up to the part where a tiny black cat god popped out of a box to give him magical super hero powers.

It was totally cool. But, what's more, it gave him his first real taste of freedom. Not scheduled and regulated and dictated. It came with rules and it came with limits, but it also came with a freedom like no other.

Sure, it was scary finding his footing on the rooftops that first time. Scarier still when a vision in red quite literally dropped out of the sky, tangling both in her yo-yo string. But just for that instant where they both were falling.

Ladybug was his partner, a superhero with powers to complement the ones he had been lucky enough to be granted as Chat Noir.

He had been happy when he realized she was kind, and just as knew to this as he was. They could muddle through this all together.

"You're a jokester, huh?" She was amused by his puns. All that time had clearly been put to good use.

And when he'd flirted using one of those long treasured lines, she parried right back. Without hesitation.

She was witty and clever, puzzling out solution after solution, far faster than his own mind was putting them together. From that first moment, she had been hesitant and unsure, but in the end determination burned clear in her piercing blue eyes.

By the second day, his exposure to Ladybug had been habit-forming. He knew without question that he was positively in love with that girl.

And better yet, because it was all in secret, neither Nathalie nor his father could schedule in time for further distractions and obligations.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

I can't believe we're already 2/3 of the way through! :D Thank you all so much for your support!


	24. Chapter 24: Summer Nights

Prompt: Summer Nights

A follow up to Day 10: A New Look  
Which was a follow up to Day 3: Explosion

* * *

It was a humid night, but the storms were almost ready to break through to bring a far more pleasant rush of coolness to the air - once the rain finally fell.

The breeze blew, tugging through the much shorter strands. Unruly strands of hair whipped at her cheeks, occasionally stinging the edge of her eyes.

But it did let the draft of cool air to kiss the back of her neck, as it gusted over the rooftop.

Ladybug sighed. Her new look wasn't exactly a perfect fix, but it definitely had some benefits.

She rarely had occasion to think of her hair getting singed as a blessing. But as swelteringly hot as this summer had been, this was one of those times.

The other?

Ladybug bit her lip, letting the warmth of a blush settle on her cheeks. Not that there was anyone awake enough to notice it.

Her eyes had turned to her partner, cozied up to her shoulder. Chat Noir was half leaning against her and half leaning precariously into the stone ledge behind them both.

They had both agreed it was much too hot to be running, and he swore he'd had a very long day. Seriously, though. Who got up at 5:00 am? Especially when they had both been up far too close to midnight the night before.

She shook her head. Why hadn't her silly kitten just let her know? He could certainly have taken the night off.

Not that she didn't mind the company.

Using her free hand to tuck some of the wayward strands behind her ears, Ladybug let her eyes wander. She had to admit, Chaton was rather adorable, asleep with his head drooping down onto her shoulder without the usual steady stream of puns to mar the surprisingly picture perfect illusion.

But that wasn't what had her floored as she'd pondered his sleeping face.

She wanted to know how had her ridiculously over the top partner managed to be so sweet. Why he had been so adamant that he didn't want her to know?

Even more. Chat Noir himself hadn't owned up to it. Not the slightest hint of a word for weeks now.

* * *

She'd resorted to putting the idea subtly in Alya's head, wondering who to Ladybug had to thank for keeping her safe.

Alya had grinned, taking the idea and running with it. It was a novel way to angle for her next Ladyblog interview with either or both.

Alya's grin had only grown after she'd done a little bit of digging. A fact that had only confused Marinette when Alya had pinned down Adrien in the hallway before they departed for lunch.

"Adrien Agreste," Alya boomed, her interviewing voice crystal clear as she'd pulled out her phone, holding it up to catch him by surprise. "Any reason in particular a certain viral ladyblog post seems to have come from your computer?"

Marinette's eyes had widened at that. It wasn't at all what she had been expecting, but outside of blinking, Adrien appeared remarkably unfazed, his eyebrows lifted. "I can answer that, Alya. But off the record, of course."

Blushing, Adrien had fessed up, mentioning that Chat Noir stopped past his house time and again. He didn't want to betray that trust and let Chat Noir feel like it wasn't a safe place to stop.

He had a hard enough time getting guests into the house.

Chat Noir had stopped that night, after the explosion, asking for help. Chat had wanted to post and had hoped to do it anonymously, pacing his room as he'd explained his plan.

Adrien shrugged, his arms crossing over his chest. "I guess the tech set up my father's people did wasn't quite good enough if you could track it backward."

Alya's eyes had narrowed. "So Chat Noir really was behind it all?"

"Typed it out and all." Adrien nodded. "But Alya, I don't think he wanted anyone to know it was him. Would you mind maybe keeping it off the blog?"

Alya had only blinked. "Sure."

* * *

Ladybug frowned, realizing that if she hadn't been there with Alya as Marinette, she might not ever know for certain.

But know she knew, and she'd desperately wanted to press him on it. To let him know just how much that it meant to her.

But how? Her lips pressed into a thin line. She truly wasn't supposed to know. Could she somehow pretend that Alya told her?

She lightly squeezed his shoulder as she adjusted her position a few centimeters.

He'd grumbled, nuzzling even closer. Puffs of his breath against the small sliver of her neck left uncovered by her costume, chasing a far too warm thrill down her spine.

She shivered, ruthlessly tugging the stray strands away from her eyes.

Chat was normally was over the top. Why wouldn't he want anyone to realize it was him behind the effort?

She hadn't realized she had spoken out loud until she had gotten a response.

"Ladybug wants to save herself." It was a bit hard to see between the mask and his eyes still firmly closed, but his brows furrowed. "She doesn't need me, Princess."

Ladybug gaped at him. She had been startled enough when she had gotten a response. She stared at him, waiting for something more. For him to move, even just to crack his eyes open. Anything.

Desperately hoping that he wouldn't to realize that he'd just called her Princess...when she wasn't Marinette.

The minutes passed quietly as she didn't dare to move, dare to breathe.

Finally, she exhaled, hugging her arm around his shoulder a little more tightly. "Of course she does, Chat Noir."

His face relaxed, slackened with only the tiniest hint of a smile curving his lips. His chest rising and falling in nearly even time as his arms hung heavily into his lap..

Clearly, her kitten talked in his sleep.

Perhaps he had even realized that she was Marinette at some subconscious level, but if so he had never given any indication. It was funny just how much he was protecting her even if he hadn't realized it.

Ladybug let her fingers brush over his upper arm as the darker clouds started to form, hoping that she could protect him even half as well.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Sorry! I am super behind on the prompts because life got a little bit busy. My little one has a birthday today!

Thanks to each and every one of you who has left a comment! You are the best!


	25. Chapter 25: Sober

_Follow Up to Day 8: Ride or Die_

* * *

Chat Noir ran aimlessly into the night, desperate to clear his head.

Being Chat Noir had been such an amazing freedom. And he had been happy, too. So innocently happy in his ignorance. Scrambling across the rooftops, bantering with his lovely partner, the weight of the world had been heavy, but he had been more than happy to share that burden with her.

There were times where it would be nice to just lose himself. Running the rooftops was usually enough to do it. Barring that, the thrill of the fight would do it, mentally and physically draining himself while he did his utmost best to protect her.

But that was before he knew just who he was protecting her from.

He kept looping near enough to his house to spot his own window, mulling whether or not it would be worth it to head inside. Whether it was worth it to find some other, less productive way to drown out the growing tide of doubts and fears.

It wasn't like it was impossible. He knew where the kitchen staff had locked away the bottles of wine into the cellars.

He had to sneak down to the kitchens often enough to snag Camembert to see the staff sharing a bottle of wine after meals were prepared to know where they had the keys hidden away.

The first night he had been spotted on one of his furtive kitchen runs, they had gaped, fear clear in their eyes. He had just just smiled, grabbed the chunk of cheese for Plagg, and with a polite "goodnight" he turned on his heel and darted back up the stairs.

It had actually been kind of nice to see that someone in this mansion was happy. He wasn't so sure he would really ever see that again inside his own home.

When it was clear that he had never breathed a word, the kitchen staff had become far more open and welcoming, even saving the choicer bits of cheeses for him, even after they all had gone home for the night.

It had been a pleasant change until the day in his day to day interactions inside his own home until the day that Nathalie had informed his that his father did not approve of him socializing with the staff.

That just made him more sneaky.

He keeps their secrets and they keep his. Not that they were really aware of anything more than his not-so-secret cheese addiction. But no one else had ever been made about the sheer volume of Camembert they kept having to restock. He definitely would have heard it from Nathalie otherwise.

Chat Noir sighed, tucking back inside his bay window. There were far more secrets being kept within the halls of this mansion than he had ever realized.

But raiding the cellars would require him to sneak back inside, and the prospect of drinking alone wasn't exactly a happy one.

Even if it was a good idea to let him drop his guard where his father was concerned.

A mechanical chirping broke through the stillness of the dark, and he came to a halt as soon as his feet landed on relatively even ground.

As bad as this whole night had been, just the image of those blue eyes peering back at him through her red mask never failed to bring a smile to his face.

"You alright, Chaton?" Ladybug was frowning at him back from the screen. "I saw you hadn't gone home yet."

Chat sighed. "I figured you had already gone to bed."

"Why would I do that?" Her brows furrowed. "I was worried...and I was pretty sure that I wasn't the only one."

His eyes scanned the night, searching for someplace where he could at least rest for the while to get Plagg re-charged. To buy him at least just a little more time before he'd have to face the inevitable.

He had to go home sometime.

His father couldn't know that they knew.

Not until they understood what was driving his mad pursuit. Not until they were sure that they had some way to end this - all of this - without anyone getting hurt.

Because if his Father was responsible for a pain that couldn't be reversed, then he really would have lost everyone in his family.

"Should I come out and meet you?" Her words broke through his reverie.

He'd looked at her, affection tempered with concern. "It's late. I'll be fine."

"You're not fine, Minou." The sad smile lingered on her lips. "I know you don't feel safe there right now."

He chuckled darkly. That was putting it mildly.

"Maybe…" Ladybug worried her lip, her eyes not quite meeting the screen. "Maybe it would be better for you to come here...just to crash for the night. You could always head home in the morning. Before someone might come in to wake you up?"

"Ladybug?" His eyes widened at the thought. Was she serious? Because that would mean... "Are you sure?"

Her cheeks darkened even as her blue eyes flashed. "Adrien, you need to sleep, and I have plenty of room here, at least for this one evening."

He blinked. "And after that?"

"I will help you find somewhere to lay low." Ladybug murmured. "But it is already way past midnight, and I'm not sure who else might still be up."

His claw brushed the edge of the baton. What had he ever done to deserve an amazing partner like her? "You're sure you don't mind?"

"I don't mind." Her lips quirked ruefully. "Honestly, I'm not sure how much longer I would really have been able to keep this a secret anyways."


	26. Chapter 26: Falling

_Companion Piece to Day 23: Addictive_

* * *

Marinette Dupain Cheng had been a remarkably stubborn little girl; her mother had book after book of pictures to prove it.

Sabine had started to dig those dusty old books out one afternoon when the bakery was not nearly as busy and Marinette had been dawdling. She and Tom had always wanted their daughter to have a sibling, but it just never worked out. Not that they were even sure where to put them if they were so blessed. It just meant that every single scrap of work Marinette had ever made was much more of a treasure.

Alya had sat in rapt-and amused-fascination, as Sabine loudly narrated each and every embarrassing fact. Her friend, clumsy though she was, had been crazy creatively inclined for as long as she'd known her, but she hadn't known how much she had struggled first.

As expected, Marinette had freaked out, finally rushing to drag Alya out of her house before any truly embarrassing stories would commence.

But the nostalgia bug had already struck. Sabine's finger traced through the old pictures with a fond smile.

Her daughter always had a sharp eye for colors. As a toddler she got engrossed in a project and not didn't she let you know she was steamed if you took it away. She'd peer into shop windows, stalling when she'd found a mix of colors she'd liked. Invariably, those two would dominate in her projects for days.

When Marinette first started to draw at their kitchen table, she'd huffed in frustration, blowing a sweep of bangs out of her face. The shapes wouldn't go in the way she'd wanted.

Sabine had been so, so sure she'd given up. The girl simply wouldn't even look at a pencil for weeks. She hadn't been sure how to help her

She wouldn't even look at a pencil for few weeks. And then her stubbornness took over. It turned out, she wouldn't do it with anyone watching. Sabine had gone in her room and seen the piles and piles of paper. Tom had given her more paper when she'd asked without a second thought.

Sewing, the same thing, but by then she had figured out what to expect, quickly smirking as she'd caught the first aid kit supplies slowly appearing on her fingers.

Her schoolwork didn't quite take the same direction, as she took to some subjects and struggled in others.

But Marinette had always worked hard. She had come by her stubbornness honestly.

Sabine chuckled, tucking a stray hair back behind her ear. Sometimes it was a bit uncanny in just how much her daughter took after her.

She hadn't always liked something at first, but when something clicked, it stuck for good.

* * *

Ladybug sighed, as the giant Akuma bashed his fists into the building only a few feet wide from her head. There really was no such thing as a day off when you were a superhero.

This Akuma wasn't made of stone. From the distance she was trying to maintain, it seemed more likely he was made of sand or mud. But his level of damage - and his rage-addled aim - was a a little too close for comfort. And with Alya definitely down within striking range trying to snag video footage she had plenty of cause for concern.

She grimaced, swinging up into the air to buy herself a little time while she coerced this new big guy to follow. Ladybug tried to consider all the angles and the range of motion. If it looked like Stoneheart and punched like Stoneheart, it would probably also go down like Stoneheart. But she'd need a little help to pull that off.

On that first day that the Akuma attacks had started, when Stoneheart had appeared, she'd met a boy.

Not Adrien, the one who left her with the most impossibly, hopeless crush. No, she wouldn't meet Adrien for another day, and wouldn't really even like him until a short while after that.

Ladybug bit her lip, as she let the yo-yo release from the ledge to search for the next best spot to swing and observe.

She'd met one of the very best friends she might ever hope to find. Or literally fall right into, as it happened.

They had just clicked, even in those first days, when she'd allowed her doubts to flood in. She hadn't known how much her powers allowed her to do. And she'd allowed her fears to keep her from meeting her full potential. But that strong sense of justice - and a few truly kind words from her partner - had carried her through.

She never failed to be amazed, thinking of how their partnership had grown. How they had both grown in the past year. His ridiculous puns had started to grow on her, over time. In turn, he had grown more serious when the situation merited it.

But at the same time, so much had remained unchanged since even that first fight. How much she knew she could rely on him, sometimes without even having to say a word.

Now, there was no one else she would rather have at her side or at her back in the middle of a fight.

And they had the uncanny knack of being at the center of so many of them. But for all the Akuma they had faced, they had only ever seen some hint of Hawkmoth once for certain.

Ladybug frowned. When Volpina had come, she'd had some Hawkmoth illusions as well, but honestly neither she nor Chat Noir had any idea. For all their hard work, they really were no closer to ending his reign of terror.

She glared back at the Akuma roaring behind her, scanning his large form for the slightest hint of an Akuma.

She knew that Chat would be here soon and she'd rather be ready to move ahead with a plan.

Ladybug's brow furrowed, as she tried to recall exactly what actions were necessary. Stoneheart-Ivan really-had Mylene as his weakness, their closeness the one thing that loosened Hawkmoth's hold.

The Akuma fists pummeled the building she was standing on, sending a shock wave far harder than she had anticipated that rattled the roof she had landed on, sending her sprawling backwards into the long dark alleyway below.

She hadn't even had time to grab for her yo-yo before a claw had already clasped around her wrist. "Need a hand, my Lady?"

Her eyes darted up as she exhaled, meeting those glowing green eyes and that all too familiar smirk.

She sighed, rolling her eyes dramatically. But even without looking, she knew that his smile only grew.

Just how did he managed to be as gentle as he did, balanced precariously on his teetering baton?

"What's the plan?" Chat Noir pulled her up onto the baton beside him, steadying them both back against the edge of the building as his claws scratched into the stone to firm up his grip. His other arm extended out to her for balance, offered as gallantly as if this was some sort of formal dance instead of the brawl that was sure to ensue.

And in a way, she supposed, it was. She took his accepted his arm with the slightest smirk, palming her yo-yo in her free hand. "An oldie, but a goodie?"

Chat tilted his head, his eyes chasing her hand where it rested on his arm. "Like Stoneheart?"

Ladybug nodded, her eyes darting to the entrance to the alleyway as the sound echoed close. "He seems to be doing something similar with his fists, but that might be a decoy. I can't get in close enough on my own to see if he's been hiding anything else."

His grin was infectious, as he retracted his claws from the stone with a snick. "Then let's see what this Akuma has up his sleeve."

Smiling fondly, she shook her head. "Let's move, Chaton."


	27. Chapter 27: Crime (Part 1 of 9)

_Prompt: Crime (Part 1 of 6)_

* * *

Author's Notes:

This whole chapter is especially for seasonofthegeek, everyone's favorite fanfiction writer partner in crime. Because I'm seriously slow and horribly behind, I'm going to post this in a few chunks to at least make sure she gets to see at least some of it on her actual birthday! This will probably be in four (or five) posted segments.

* * *

Marinette gaped at the footage from Alya's phone, rubbing her eyes in disbelief. There was no way.

There was just no way.

The camera zoomed in on the newspaper's leading headline took up the whole of the screen. "They've Stolen Our Hearts..and Millions in Priceless Gems and Artwork"

Half the class had crowded around Alya's phone as the lunch break had just began, nearly as stunned as she had looked. Even Adrien had gone pale.

Her brows furrowed. It just wasn't possible. Sure, it had been a late last night, but it hadn't been that late a night.

Hawkmoth had sent out a wicked Akuma that had them on their toes from dusk until dark had covered the city in full. She had gotten in just after midnight and had hardly been able to do more than brush her teeth before she'd tucked up into bed.

Chat Noir had been no less tired than her when they parted ways.

"This is Nadia Chamack, reporting live from the front of just one of the homes looted in last night's heist." She oozed professionalism, but her eyes could scarcely contain her horrified glee as she disclosed every single lurid detail and image of the stolen loot that the police would allow. "Could Paris's superheroes truly be behind this theft?"

"The Police Chief has declined to comment, but according to this neighboring homeowner, it's a foregone conclusion. The pair had been filmed breaking into the one of the homes across the street."

From the back of the crowd, Rose had gasped aloud.

Marinette leaned closer to inspect the blurry camera image now covering the screen whole.

"It's impossible." Alya shook her head in disgust, the phone dropping to her desk with an angry rattle. "I refuse to believe it."

"Man." Kim stood back, shaking his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It seriously sucks when your heroes let you down."


	28. Chapter 27: Crime (Part 2 of 9)

_Prompt: Crime (Part 2 of 6)_

* * *

Adrien paced in his room. "It's an Akuma. It has to be."

Plagg shrugged, resting quite comfortably on a cushion on the computer desk. "The odds are pretty good."

"But another Copycat?" Adrien racked his brain, trying to remember a case where a second Akuma actually happened…outside of Puppeteer awakening the doll versions of himself and a few Akumatized others under her own control. "Wasn't the first one bad enough?"

Glowing green peered back with an unrepentant smirk. "It wouldn't have been nearly as bad if you had waited."

* * *

Marinette scrambled around her room, shoving a small plate of cookies into her purse. "But we need to get moving now."

"We will be moving, Marinette." Tikki floated after her. "But you really need to stop and think. What happened to Chat Noir when he went out to face down Copycat?"

Frowning, Marinette halted mid-stride. "He…went to investigate."

"Right," Tikki butted her head up against her charge's forehead. "And the otherwise very nice police officers were very slow to believe him, even after you vouched for his good behavior."

She blew out a puff of air, as she meandered over to slump back down onto her chaise. "Vouching isn't an option for either of us this time."

Tikki nodded sagely. "I'm just hoping that Chat Noir isn't nearly so reckless this time.

* * *

Adrien glared. "I'm not reckless."

Plagg cackled as he hefted the hunk of cheese. "Honestly? Who are you trying to kid?"

"I had a plan–"

"A reckless one." Plagg's eyes were narrowed, tiny paws clamping down into the rind defying him to contradict the assertion.

"But it was effective." Adrien's jaw set, staring his Kwami back down. "I figured out who it was that Hawkmoth turned."

"Sure." Tiny black shoulders shrugged. "Especially since you caused your fellow Ladybug fan to get Akumatized in the first place. Then you managed to get caught by the cops."

Blonde brows rose, as his arms crossed his chest. "Yes, but I got away–"

"After Ladybug helped…and then you escaped only to get caught by the Copycat." Plagg smirked, devouring half of the soft cheese greedily.

"I could have held my own if he hadn't gotten the jump on me."

"Doesn't change the fact that he did, kid." Plagg's mouth was still half full, before he gulped it back noisily. "I just hate to see you get hurt."

Adrien blinked, his eyes softening as his hand drifted up to his chest. That was actually kind of sweet.

"Especially because that means I have waste even more of my valuable energy healing you up, rather than savoring the exquisite flavor."

"Ugh." Adrien sighed, turning away from the smell as Plagg fished another chunk of cheese out of its wrapping.

He shook his head, mentally scolding himself for not knowing better. Outside of cheese, Plagg loved nothing more than to get a rise out of him. His brows knit as he hunched over as he packed out his school bag.

If he couldn't go out at Chat Noir, he'd have to find some way to sneak away as Adrien.

Somehow.

* * *

Sneaking out as Marinette was a lot harder than she'd thought. It was something she really hadn't had to worry about when she could easily escape from her skylight after her parents must have been sure she was busy with homework or had headed off to sleep.

It was a lucky thing that he parents had still been occupied in the store with a late order.

She had stopped inside the shop with a wave and a promise that she'd call to check in when she had gotten over to Alya's.

With a wave and a grin, she darted out of the shop and headed towards Alya's until she was sure she was safely out of view before dashing over to the Metro.

She was so used to chasing the rooftops that it hadn't occurred to her what a challenge getting around in the evening might pose. There were just way too many of the customers and classmates on this side of town, and she could hardly avoid them and their questions as to why she was walking on foot and scanning the rooftops.

Marinette was tempted – very, sorely tempted – to call Alya to come along with her, just to have another pair of eyes and for the sake of her alibi. There was a certain safety in numbers that would have made her feel far more at ease, without the security of her super suit at her back.

But while dodging her friend at school as was easy enough, where she she nearly every secret hiding place to be had, it was a much more dangerous prospect with an unknown Akuma in the mix.

As she'd arrived at the stop closest to the ritzy neighborhood where her copycat had appeared, she hadn't counted on spotting another familiar face.


	29. Chapter 27: Crime (Part 3 of 9)

"What is she doing out so late?"

Wide eyed, Adrien pushed Plagg's tiny black head back into the bag, hoping he hadn't been spotted. The rail car was fairly empty, but he wasn't about to take any chances.

He shook his head as he ducked back into the seat, glaring down into the bag.

Sure. He had taken extra precautions getting out of the house unnoticed, sneaking around with a hoodie to obscure himself as much as he could manage considering the limitations of what his father would allow in his closets. But, he wasn't the reckless one who had popped his head out.

A talking cat would definitely be noticed.

"But–"

"Shh." Adrien hissed, desperately tugging his hoodie over his face and tugging his duffel back into his lap. Bad enough if Plagg was spotted, but if he were recognized too–with the talking cat–there would be hell to pay.

"Fine, kid." Plagg's green eyes narrowed where they were again peeking out of the bag. "Let your little friend walk alone this late."

"What?" Adrien's brows rose, his eyes already scanning the car. "What friend?"

Plagg nodded his head back to the car behind them. "Pigtails. 10 o'clock."

Adrien's eyes softened as they met the familiar blue pigtails and her black jacket, he stood for only a few second to confirm the flash of pink pants hidden just below his line of sight while he had been seated.

It sure looked like Marinette, right down to what he could see of her outfit, but it was pretty late to be out and not be headed home. He wouldn't have dared to be out this late himself without a bodyguard were it not for the necessity. But what on earth would she need to be out at this time of night?

His grip on his bag tightened, as Marinette moved to stand near the doors. This was the stop he was headed for, the closest to the neighborhood with all the break ins.

At least she was on the Metro for now, but surely she didn't intend to walk around on her own this late?

Adrien twisted his ring absently, watching and waiting the play of the light hitting Marinette's face through the glass.

His own mind vacillated between options in time to the slight hitch of the car on the rails. Clearing his own name was important and he had no doubt that Ladybug would find her own way here to do the same.

But he couldn't just leave Marinette, could he? Not when it really wasn't clear just how dangerous these impostors might be.

His bag was already up on his shoulder as the car came to a slow stop, moving just as soon as he watched her step off of the Metro with a purpose. Adrien increased his pace and stride to match hers.

His patrol could always wait until he was sure that his friend was safe.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Still moving with this! I'm enjoying the idea too, too much! :) The next chapter is already solidly in progress, but real life is slowing my writing speed down far more than I'd like.


	30. Chapter 27: Crime (Part 4 of 9)

_How?_ Marinette's her eyes snapped out the window and then to the back of the car before she slammed them shut. _How was this her luck?_

Her breathing hitched, as one of her other hands gripped the seat in front of her to keep her balance. She sat up stiffly in picture-perfect posture, her knee bouncing fretfully.

 _How was this her life?_

She dared to look back over to where he was sitting, but only from the corner of her eye before she twisted back around.

Thank goodness he hadn't been looking up at her, although his brows had been knit with concern. Something clearly had him worried and he had been facing in her direction. Just talking to him was a challenge on a normal day.

Of all the times-of all the places-for Adrien to spot her, to call after her, this was probably the worst.

It was right up there with being in his room again. But out of costume with no way to get Tikki's energy back up.

Although...her mind immediately de-railed at the thought.

That was one of her recurring nightmares, but it was the only one that occasionally made her wish she never had to slip out from under the covers.

Just being in his room with him, without her mouth running her headlong into trouble, could also be really pleasant. There had been so many little moments, whole sweetly silent moments between them when she had all of her ladybug confidence, that had been nothing short of amazing.

If only she could ever figure out how to manage to channel her Ladybug courage - and her way with words - into her life outside of her super suit.

 _Focus, Marinette._ She mentally smacked herself, slamming her eyes shut as she stood near the door. _Focus!_

Her fingers trembled against the strap of her purse, her lips pressing into a firm line. She needed to figure this out and fast. Her stop was the next one and unless she was really lucky she needed to figure out an excuse and fast.

Tikki had tipped open the bag just enough to peek her head out, her eyes a little ill from all the shaking. "Marinette? Are you alright?"

"Sorry, Tikki." Marinette bit her lip, wincing slightly as a deep pink flush staining her cheeks. "We've been spotted."

Tikki peered up just enough to spot Adrien not twenty odd feet behind them. With an audible gasp, she dove back down into Mariette's purse, shutting the top behind her just as the Metro doors parted open with a pneumatic hiss.

Scowling as she was so easily abandoned, Marinette forced her legs to move faster, hustling towards the exit.

Maybe she could still lose him and transform before he noticed.

* * *

For someone who was just a bit shorter than he was, she managed to move surprisingly fast. It must have been all of the running she did to get to classes.

Adrien had to drastically widen his stride, leaving him just the slightest bit breathless as he tried to catch up. He reached out his hand, waving it beside her face. "Marinette?"

Her blue eyes were startled wide, when she gaped up at him. "Huh?"

"Are you alright?" Frowning, Adrien tugged his hood back. The last thing he'd wanted to do was to scare her. "It's just me. Sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

"I-" She closed her mouth, her eyes scanning the ground. "I just felt like I was being followed. Which was a little a creepy." Her eyes widened, her hands waving anxiously to reassure him. "I mean, not that you are creepy or anything but-"

Adrien smiled, pressing a hand on her shoulder to help her calm down. "I know what you meant. I just was wondering what you are doing in this side of town so late."

Fidgeting, she tucked a bit of stray hair, knocked out of place in her hasty dash from the metro, back behind her ear. "I was in a rush. There is this big, custom cake that my parents are supposed to make for the weekend and the customer hasn't been answering their phone. It's a seriously big wedding order and unless we had the amended contract signed, my parents can't put anything on reserve." Her lips pressed into a thin line, her fingers tapping on her purse absently. Her eyes were a little distant, but at least she was talking to him, even if it was at a mile a minute. "I mean, if we don't have that they'll need to order the items out of pocket and if the client has to cancel, it just means we'll be out the money."

"That makes a lot of sense, really." His green eyes were wide, his hands buried in the pockets of his hoodie as they walked up the steps to exit the station stop. "I'm just surprised your parents would be okay with you being out so late."

Her nose wrinkled up cutely. "But you're out late, too." Her blush deepened, like she'd just realized what she said and worried he might actually take offense despite the truth to her words. "I mean-"

Shrugging, his hand rose to scratch to his neck with a half smile tilting his lips. "You're not wrong. My photoshoot went a bit long tonight, and Nathalie re-scheduled my tutoring session for Chinese."

"Do you usually get scheduled for this kind of stuff so late in the day?"

"Sometimes." His eyes narrowed, as he'd waited for her to pick the direction. "My tutor lives on this side of town and...well, I promised the Gorilla I'd check in when I got here. He had a family member that went into the hospital and I told him I'd check in as soon as I got to my tutor's house so he can pick me up later. They wouldn't have let me on the Metro otherwise. Not with what happened on this side of town."

* * *

Marinette inhaled slowly as they turned the corner. She had been hoping to avoid that topic, as it was hitting a little too close to home. She had to find someplace to bow out, so he could get to his instructor's house to check in. She forced her eyes to widen, to pretend she didn't know what was going on. "Something happened over here?"

"Yeah," he frowned. "All those robberies, apparently. It was kind of why I was little worried when I saw you on your own."

"Oh." She gulped, hoping he wouldn't notice how much she was blushing. "That's sweet of you, really. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He was blushing a little too. She was never more thankful for the well lit streets. Otherwise she totally would have missed that. Posters on the wall were amazing, but give her Adrien blushing any day of the week.

They descended into companionable silence, until a lone police car drove past.

"Do you think it is actually Chat Noir?" He was frowning now.

Marinette shook her head, her arms crossed over her chest. "I don't think it is either of them, honestly. Why would they save Paris all this time just to start stealing now?"

"Yeah."

She tilted her head up at him. "Why would you just worry about Chat Noir? Ladybug was supposed to be there, too?"

Adrien's mouth opened and closed, before he managed to find just the right words. "It's just people seem to trust Ladybug more. The police already doubted Chat Noir in the past, when that CopyCat Akuma stole from the Louvre."

Marinette almost chuckled. "Right, but shouldn't that mean that the police were more suspicious of anyone looking to cast doubt on either Ladybug or Chat Noir? It kind of seems like all they had to go on was one fuzzy picture."

Adrien smiled slowly, his eyes lifted to the skyline. "I bet you they both would appreciate your confidence in them."

"Probably." She smiled warmly, nodding to a building halfway up the block with a buzzer and well lit lobby area. "Thank you for walking with me. I know you've got to get to your lesson, and I can handle it from here."

He frowned again. "If you're feeling uncomfortable…"

"I'll just call a cab, honestly." She assured him, nodding. "I have enough cash on me to get back across town."

"You're sure?"

"I'll be fine. I promise." She smiled again, watching and waving as Adrien headed off around the corner.

She'd waited only another few seconds to make sure he didn't double back to check on her before sprinting back into the nearest alleyway to transform.

* * *

When Ladybug alighted the rooftops close enough to the site of the break in on the news, Chat Noir was already there, waiting.

He was up on the rooftop across the way, but was laying low, crouched behind the chimney as his glowing green eyes scanned over the roads below.

Ladybug landed beside him as quietly as she could manage. "I thought I might find you up here, Chaton."

"Good Evening, my lady." He grinned, his eyes sneaking away to meet hers for only a moment. "It's nice to see you could sneak away for this little midnight rendezvous."

She rolled her eyes. "Not quite midnight, but getting here was definitely more of a challenge than I had hoped. Let's hope we don't have to sneak around like this for too much longer."

He nodded his chin down at the otherwise quiet streets below. "The police are watching this whole area very carefully. I didn't dare use my baton unless I had to."

Sighing, she tugged her yo-yo out of it's holster, bringing up the image from the news.

He had leaned over, peering over her shoulder at the image. "Do they really think that is us?"

Ladybug expanded all the sections methodically. "It looks very similar to us for sure, but it is just a picture."

Chat Noir stretched slightly. "Right, but who else could manage to get up to the rooftops without issue?"

Her eyes narrowed. "It could definitely be an Akuma of some sort, but I don't think Hawkmoth has ever been able to make two at once. Not without some really special circumstances."

"Unless his powers have somehow managed to grow."

"Now that's a scary thought." Ladybug shuddered. Hawkmoth wasn't the type to give them a break, and this was the perfect situation for him to take advantage. But it leaves them both with the question of where the Akuma might be.

Ladybug's yo-yo chimed with an alert from the Ladyblog. "That's weird."

"What is?" Chat Noir leaned in again, peering over her shoulder at the screen.

"The Ladyblog is posting reports of an Akuma across town near the Louvre."

* * *

With barely a few seconds of hesitation, they were on the move across the rooftops. The police were quick to notice their rooftop dash. The police cars swerved into the lanes, turning back towards the center of the city and attempting to give chase from the narrow streets below

Ladybug smiled, pleased to see that they couldn't keep up.

They had just gained enough ground for comfort when Chat Noir shouted for her to stop. She'd landed, looping upwards to slow her landing to a more comfortable speed before dropping beside him on the roof.

Chat-with his better night vision-had caught sight of the far too familiar red and black forms.

They both looked at each other, frowning, the question lingering unasked in the air between them.

Her eyes narrowed as she checked her yo-yo, still chiming with new alerts from the Ladyblog.

Chat had his baton in his hands, ready to move again at a moment's notice. "What do you think, my Lady?"

She wanted nothing more than to investigate, but there really was no decision to be made. There's no time.

She slammed her eyes shut, shooting her yo-yo towards the center of town as her response and swinging her momentum to propel herself forward as fast as she could.

They had still an Akuma to catch.

And a city to save: No matter what the city thought of them at the moment.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Thank you all for your support. I love reading your comments! *hugs* It really, truly is the best to hear what parts you are enjoying!


	31. Chapter 27: Crime (Part 5 of 9)

The stars twinkled faintly in the skies above, barely visible above the halos of lights from the buildings all around. The view was picturesque, if you had the time to enjoy it.

They been up here for nearly half an hour now in semi-silent vigil, just watching and waiting.

It seemed oddly appropriate, considering how they both were dressed.

She shifted uncomfortably, stretching her legs before crouching back down beneath the ledge of the roof.

The red spandex bodysuit was a little much. The fabric itself itched something awful, especially the sections where the black spots had been painstaking sewed in. The slightly-too-tight for comfort suit left far too little to the imagination-and even less room to breathe.

She'd be more than happy to be in their far warmer warehouse in jeans and a t-shirt, doing inventory on their take thus far and packing it away into something nice and safe for their trip home.

She wanted to be home more than anything in the world right now. But needs must.

When she first tried it on for size, he had gaped, sea blue eyes wide and jaw attempting to scrape across the floor, on the day she had first tried it on. He just stood there dumbly until she had punched his shoulder, reminding him to keep his eyes on the maps and his business.

Her eyes narrowed at the memory. Will was being paid-and quite handsomely-for his help. Not to ogle her assets.

This suit had a purpose. It was a necessity.

It wasn't like his own black leather suit was much better. She knew from experience that leather was a lot less forgiving, but he had donned it without complaint. Just like he had been crouched down in a similar position they had pulled from blogs and news outlets of the cat-like sidekick.

Had he always been so athletic? She frowned, wondering just how much he had been practicing after their myriad of run throughs so he could hold that position for so long without his muscles aching something fierce. She had been able to outpace him when they were younger, before he'd shot up another few inches and unfairly pushed the advantage in his own direction.

She shook her head as her partner's shaggy blonde hair was tossed in the gusty winds, whipping around the binoculars he'd had practically plastered to his eyes and tugging at the fake leather ears.

It was a wonder that the superheroes weren't plagued with similar problems with their costumes.

She tugged a few stray strands out of her eyes, with a sigh. Her own hair was short; far shorter than it had been for quite some time, tied up in pigtails. It was a hairstyle she hadn't worn herself for many years. She hadn't wanted to cut it. Her deep brown locks had trailed down to her waist, but was now dyed in the closest color to match every image they could track online.

Her hair had been her Grandmother's other pride and joy - as it looked so much like hers when she was a girl.

But if they got through all of this, her abuela could grumble about it just as much as she pleased for many years to come.

* * *

Crouched down enough to hide the glowing green binoculars mostly behind the lip of the roof of the newer apartment building, Will didn't want to think about moving, even as much as his own muscles protested the sustained abuse. Even as he'd felt the sticky trickle of sweat pooling in far more places than he really wanted to consider at the moment. He didn't dare move, lest they give away their position.

There wasn't much newer construction around that was ideal for surveillance, but it had all been worth the time investment for research.

He needed to be sure they were both safe. He'd promised her Grandmother he'd get them back home safely. No matter what.

She knew how stubborn Marisol could be when she put her mind to it-and knew he had learned that just the same all those years ago.

He had been visiting his own grandfather one summer in high school when the old man had ferried them both along to coast to visit his old friend at her tiny, seaside cottage.

He had grumbled, bemoaning his lack of sea legs and working internet until he had met Marisol.

With those rich chocolate eyes and a sassy smirk that ha goaded his own competitive spirit.

They'd been friends for those few short summers. Finding ways to outdo each other, racing down the hilly, half trodden paths, finding all of the secret caves along the coast. His grandfather had chuckled while her Grandmother, Isabel had looked on in fond amusement. They would set challenges for them both, ones they grew in increasing complexity.

He had easily grown bored at school, but these challenges had felt more real than anything school had ever even suggested. He'd loved it, eagerly looking forward to the trips, the thrill of the impending competition, and the stories of the old days.

Eventually, perhaps in that second summer, he had pieced together that neither his grandfather nor abuela Isabel had always acted on the "right" side of the law. It made the tales - and their daring escapes - all the more fascinating to his young ears.

It was a large part of what had driven him into engineering in the first place. His Grandfather had tinkered with cars and had even left a few with his lovely old house when he'd passed just after he had graduated. Now, he did rather staid and boring contract work remotely, making designs for large corporations and tinkering with electronics for fun. It had been enough for a comfortable existence, which suited him just fine.

Those summers had faded into little more than one of his fondest childhood memories. Until they day Marisol turned up on his front porch, seeking his grandfather's aid, unaware that he had passed several years prior.

Those somber, brown eyes goaded him into taking up a challenge he'd never dreamed he would even consider, laying half a plan at his feet.

His mind raced, filling in the gaps as if those summers had never ended. As if his grandfather was still there with that twinkle in his eyes, watching at that tiny kitchen table in eager anticipation of whatever half cocked plan he could cook up.

But now he had far more practice in planning.

He shook his head, blinking and resting his eyes briefly.

Telling Marisol no had never occurred to him. It had never really been an option in his mind. She still had Isabel there for just as much time as she could keep her healthy and comfortable.

As uncomfortable as his suit was, it would afford them plausible deniability. At least until they could make their grand escape from Paris.

He had studiously done his homework, studying the news reports, the photographs of the damage before Ladybug's nebulous powers set everything to rights. They'd cross-referenced maps, comparing sites that had been frequented but Paris's superhero problem with the houses they held items worth the risk of entry.

She had already had list after list of items that might fetch a reasonable enough price through a fence, one of the many of Isabel's contacts Marisol had asked for little favors. It was her family's business. Her grandmother's family business anyways. Her web of contacts were vast, if mostly aging.

She'd reached out, desperate for any support.

She'd gotten someone who were willing to fence the goods once they'd gotten out of France, but she needed another pair of hands...especially considering, Paris's pest infestation.

No one had dared to touch the artwork in more than a year, what with superheroes running around on their rooftops and saving the day.

Run of the mill thieves were gun-shy, and homeowners were overly sure of their security systems.

Marisol was always the best talents at sneaking into all of those secret, hidden spaces. He had been convinced all those years ago that her grandmother kept teaching her trade secrets, but now he was grateful for it.

He sighed, mentally quashing away his doubts. This was her best option.

Their best option, really.

"What's wrong?"

Will looked up, meeting her eyes. "Just resting my eyes."

She shifted down onto her knees at his side, her phone screen illuminated with alerts. "Do you think we're in the wrong place?"

He shook his head. "With everything we researched, Ladybug and Chat Noir were sure to investigate the scene of the crime. Since most of the these supernatural attacks occurred largely in the central part of town, they'd basically need to come close along these parallel roads to get where they would be headed."

* * *

She stretched her arms out, dropping her head onto the ledge and scowling into the night.

They couldn't safely move until the daring do-gooders had showed. If Will was right, it was just a matter of time before the two would come racing past.

And she wasn't a patient person by nature. Outside of her more deft hand at lock-picking, that was usually more of his expertise.

"Boys and their toys," she'd muttered fondly, rolling her eyes.

"Useful toys, though." His dark blue eyes were anxious, tapping the outside of the case as he handed his pair over to her, nodding his head at a building across the way. "I do believe we have guests."

Blinking, she held out her hand for the expensive bit of night vision binoculars, pressing them to her face. The Black outline was barely clear against the darkness, even with the night vision goggles. He stood out on a ledge some ten or so block away, leaning towards them on the ledge. "He's a curious cat, isn't he?"

"Seems like it." he chuckled softly.

But as she could barely make the big cat out against the night, Ladybug lit up like a Christmas tree. Marisol smiled. "Think they'll come out and play?"

"Honestly?" She could hear the thread of anxiety in his voice. "I kind of hope not."

Her eyes hadn't strayed from the mirror image of red and black across the way.

It was a tense minute, waiting and watching to see if they would come for them.

Marisol steadied her breathing. She hadn't figured they would be spotted, but now was no time to panic.

They needed to be ready to move. To make use of the suitcase of toys that Will had brought along.

Clearly their superhero powers were a bit more than even the newspapers scope had indicated.

Luckily, the other lady in red was tugging on her partner's tail, urging him to their civic duty.

"You're that afraid?" She challenged, shifting the binoculars to monitor the pair move off towards the Eiffel Tower. "We planned this all very carefully. Remember?"

His brow furrowed, his dark blue eyes glancing around the rooftop uneasily as she huddled down beside him.

"We did our homework, sure. But I have my doubts about these guys and their powers."

She exhaled turning her eyes back to Will.

His gloved hands gripped the ledge that was mostly masking them from view, his shoulder tensing in a rather distracting way under all that leather.

She had intended to talk him through his nerves.

So why were hers acting up now?

* * *

"I don't like what I can't explain." He grumbled. "If I can't explain it, I'm not sure I can work around it."

"So you're saying we can't pull this off?" She grew irritated, perhaps even a little belligerent. It didn't bode well for trying to do anything else tonight.

Will crossed his arms, wondering absently about the functionality was of the tail as the wind kept smacking the small strap of leather into his leg.

He was watching her, assessing.

He felt like he always been watching her. Not that she'd ever noticed. He certainly hadn't when he was younger.

"I'm just saying now might not be a bad time to cut our losses." He was mentally doing the math. If she didn't pay him his share, she'd have more than enough for what she'd need.

But maybe he'd be able to convince her to help him on another job.

To see where she might let things go from there.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "We need just a little bit more. Otherwise all of this won't have been worth the effort."

* * *

His blue eyes were far more serious than usual, narrowing as they locked with hers. He didn't grab for her hand. He didn't dare.

He just spoke evenly, his voice the slightest bit deeper than normal. "And we will. Just maybe not tonight."

Their relationship was a professional one. There was a solid, heavy line that she had never dared to cross.

But when every other contact she'd known had bowed out, he was still there. That meant far more to her than she could say. When she had been at her wit's end, desperate for any help she could come by, he had stepped up.

And when he'd looked at her like that, she sometimes got to wondering what exactly he was getting out of this deal outside of the thrill of the challenge.

She'd seen the instant that the glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes, clear even with the obstruction of the black half mask.

"Also." His grin was infectious. "Not worth the effort? Have you seen how good I look in this outfit."

She smirked, cocking her hip as she leaned over to replace the binoculars into the cushioned case. "I believe that's my line."

She felt his eyes pass over her quickly, but the urge to blush was quickly quashed by his words.

"Seriously, Marisol?" Will practically purred, channeling every snippet of footage of the feline superhero she knew he'd watched until it had become second nature. He smirked, leaning his lanky form back against the ledge. "Did you not see the ears? I'm way more adorable."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Took a while until I was happy with this one. I might still tinker a little with the wording, but this chapter is pretty lengthy already.

We'll be re-joining our heroes when the action re-commences. ;)

Thanks to you all for your patience and continued support!


	32. Chapter 27: Crime (Part 6 of 9)

Roger Raincomprix, one of Paris's finest, stood arms akimbo torn between pride and disbelief, watching from a safe distance as Ladybug and Chat Noir still carried out their sacred duty to protect Paris - no matter what accusation had been levied against them.

He himself had been Akumatized. He knew just how easy it was to lose to Hawkmoth's sway, when the villain pressed his advantage.

But it meant he had also stood with incredible powers, going toe to toe with Paris's super heroes. Their powers were unbelievable.

The sheer fact that they had Paris's full confidence gave them the opportunity to be Paris's perfect criminals. And just a week ago, who would suspect the heroes of Paris would spend their off hours raiding some of the finest homes in town as they chased across the rooftops?

But a simple image had been enough to inspire doubts in so many mind.

Roger shook his head. He was a firm believer in innocent until guilt was proven.

He swore to himself that would stand vigil each night, watching and waiting until circumstances bore out the truth of the matter.

His eyes narrowed as the pair chased off into the darkness after an Akuma, ducking down into his police vehicle with no hesitation. Snagging his now cold coffee, he took a fortifying sip as he'd tugged the seat belt over his lap.

Absently, he'd wondered if he ought to phone his wife. It looked like it would be another long night in Paris.

* * *

Ladybug was still half breathless as she released the purified butterfly into the sky from the relative safety of the roof. This Akuma had given them the runaround - literally forcing them to scramble over the whole of Paris.

Chat was still breathing heavily as he walked over to where she stood, mere inches separating their shoulders. The big question loomed heavily in the air, but she could read it clearly in his glowing emerald eyes.

The night was not nearly so silent, as the first chime echoed beside her ear.

Frowning, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder "We can go back, but we definitely need to re-charge first."

Chat Noir nodded, his eyes only leaving hers for an instant to mark her gloved hand falling at his shoulder. "We're sure to have friends along for the ride."

She shook her head, the police cars below had gone silent but the flickering blue lights still glimmered for blocks surrounding their location. "I hate that this has made them not trust us. Just getting out of the house has become a challenge. I never appreciated my powers more than when I couldn't use them. For even some of the little thing"

Chat's brows furrowed, his posture slightly stooped over his extended his baton. "I know what you mean. How are we supposed to keep Paris safe if we can't get around safely?"

Ladybug exhaled heavily, frowning down at the streets below. "It's not the first time they've stopped trusting us. I'm sure it won't be the last. Not with as much as Hawkmoth loves to exploit doubts and high emotions."

"I'm just not happy about this. It's bad enough that they are doubting me again. But how could they doubt you?"

Her gaze softened. Squeezing his shoulder gently, she murmured. "We'll get through this together. We always do."

Ladybug smiled as Chat's eyes softened, the slow upward turn of his lips echoing hers. His claws so careful nears her suit, as his hand covered hers atop his shoulder. "We always will."

They both winced as his ring chimed through the silence.

Shaking his head, Chat Noir moved first. "Meet you back at the building we spotted earlier?"

Ladybug grinned as her yo-yo snagged a building in the opposite direction. "Just as soon as I can get there."

* * *

The sirens of police cars reverberated through streets below, just as soon as they had spotted him again.

Chat paced the roof anxiously, waiting and second-guessing himself. He was so sure it was this roof where he had spotted their copycat and bug. Had he been wrong? Had he misjudged the position?

Rubbing the back of his hand over his eyes, Chat forced himself to slow down, mentally replaying their scramble across the rooftops of town.

He was so worn down by the added stress of the situation, that he didn't have his usual focus. And that was something he really couldn't afford.

Even his Kwami had noticed how well he hadn't been sleeping lately. Plagg was surprisingly cooperative, even quieter than normal as he'd pleasantly accepted every bit of cheese Adrien could sneak from the kitchens when they'd dragged in from patrol each night.

He was just lucky the circles under his eyes weren't stark enough that the make up artists couldn't fix it with a fair dab of concealer. If Nathalie found out, there would be questions that he really didn't have a good answer to yet.

Chat Noir stretched, slipping his eyes shut to better acclimate them to the dark. Dropped to all fours, his eyes scanning the ground at much closer distance, methodically covering the whole of the rooftop.

His Lady would be here soon. Even if their doppelgangers had fled the scene, he wanted to have something to show for her decision to return with him.

She was trying so hard to be more positive to be more upbeat, but he could see that the tell tale signs that Paris's censure was wearing heavily on her too.

Ladybug talked a good game; she always did. If he knew her any less, he wouldn't be worried.

But, she wasn't nearly as energetic as she was usually. The blue of her eyes carried a little less of her usual spark. Her movements were a little more hesitant, and it was causing the battles to take a little longer than necessary. Even her banter had grown a little more reserved, a little less sure than usual.

Ladybug needed this to be resolved just as much as he did, even if she felt the need to put on a brave face.

When his scan of the roof came up empty, Chat Noir's shoulders slumped as he collapsed back against the pavement, his eyes scanning up into the stars.

He couldn't bear the thought of letting her down. This was all just so different than they were used to with Hawkmoth.

Whoever or whatever these two were, they were extremely careful.

And unless Hawkmoth's powers had changed, they certainly were not Akuma.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Still pushing forward with the idea. I know where I am going for certain now (Yay!) but certain details always take a lot longer to lock into place, especially those action-y bits.

Thank you all for your continued support! 3


	33. Chapter 27: Crime (Part 7 of 9)

Will closed his eyes, hitting his back against the door and tossing the hotel keycard onto the end table by the door. It hadn't taken much to convince Marisol to move off the roof.

Tonight had been close. Too close for his own comfort.

There was just something about those two, even as far off as they had been some 40-50 meters away, that was setting off all his warning bells in way it hadn't done when he was examining them purely by footage.

He suspected that she was just as anxious as he was. She just seemed reluctant to show it.

He knew she didn't have the experience that Isabel had. But he still wasn't entirely sure how much she did have.

She had wanted to set up all the gadgets, but that might arouse suspicions.

He suggested they pretend to make out near the window until they spotted the heroes.

Rolling those dangerous dark eyes, she picked up the pair of binoculars. But not before he'd missed the hint of mischief as she shook her head, shooting him a half-hearted glare before turning back to the window.

"Well, if you're all that broken up about it." he grinned. "We don't have to pretend…"

Marisol just snorted, tearing her eyes away from the rooftop across the way just long enough to raise her eyes up to the sky. "You wish."

Will chuckled, padding over to the shared bathroom. "Shout when you spot them and I'll be back out."

"Mmmhmm."

He didn't let his face fall until the door closed behind him.

* * *

Marisol watching and waiting.

But not always through her binoculars. She watched the door close behind him.

WIll was far too anxious. They were clever to be sure. But she could tell when he was just putting up a brave front. He got chatty - and flirty - it as a means to quash his own nervousness. The silence left him to thinking. And worrying.

She sighed. She didn't want him to worry. Worrying was her job. She was far more practiced in keeping a level head.

Besides, she was asking a lot of him. Despite all their games as kids, this was not his area of expertise.

He had been her absolute last resort. And honestly she couldn't have asked for a better partner in this.

Sure enough, there they were. She called him back out, looking at the heroes side by side as the chatted and parted off into the night.

The heroes had come out empty handed, but they would be watching for them for sure.

Which meant she'd have to put Plan B into motion, putting every good bit of advice she'd been given into practice.

* * *

Ladybug paced the roof of Notre Dame.

At least that was what his phone alert was telling him when it vibrated on his desk. Adrien didn't hesitate, pulling Plagg into a transformation mid-bite.

With as challenging as it was escaping the house unnoticed these days, Chat wouldn't have known except that the Ladyblog had caught wind - via the police band radio - and sent out an alert.

He scrambled, vaulting up onto the rooftops and scrambled as fast as he could to get over to her.

Everything - the Akuma and their doppelgangers - all of it had mysteriously stopped.

There hadn't been an Akuma attack, hadn't been a reported robbery in nearly a week.

That should have been an incredible accomplishment. They hadn't gotten the chance to truly rest up for more than a day in some weeks.

Instead, he was just restless. The police were still chasing them from the ground and from the air, which just meant they had to run for longer in order to lose the tail safely sneak back in at home.

He wasn't sure that Ladybug was faring much better.

But if he didn't get there soon, he'd miss his chance to find out before the police chased her off.

* * *

As bad as the general public was, Adrien was sure that the classroom was actually worse.

Adrien frowned, hoping the distraction would hide his own yawn. Missing his Lady had been bad enough; missing sleep because he was worried and because she hadn't stayed transformed long enough for him to try to make contact was worse.

"Daddy was even thinking about paying Ladybug and Chat Noir so they wouldn't have to resort to a life of crime."

Alya grit her teeth. "Honestly, how could you doubt either of them?"

"Well," Chloe crossed her arms over her chest," I still have my doubts about Ladybug, but I have to wonder about Chat Noir."

Marinette chimed in, scowling over at Chloe. "What are you even talking about?"

Chloe's eye narrowed as she fussed with her hair. "I'm sure Chat Noir was the bad influence there. How else could Ladybug have fallen so far?"

Marinette's hands hit the desk, the echo drawing his attention back to her - and her flashing blue eyes. Her arm gestured wildly. "Hasn't Chat Noir helped you a lot in the past. Hasn't he helped everyone in this room? And done it without complaint right at Ladybugs side. Honestly, how could you doubt him?"

Chloe is suitably chastised but still scowling. "Daddy knows very well what kind of people Ladybug and Chat Noir are. But there is evidence that there were at the crime scene." She arched a brow, tapping Sabrina on the shoulder. "Tell them, Sabrina."

"The photo from the neighbor is definitely real." Sabrina crossed her arms over her chest, looking mildly uncertain. "It's why my Dad has to keep going on patrol each night."

Alya rolled her eyes. "But that photo was really grainy. You could barely make out any details."

"Or it could just be someone who looks a lot like them." Adrien schooled his face to be as impassive as he could manage, although there was the slightest bit of pinch and tension around his eyes.

"Right!" Marinette flashed an appreciative grin at him, before turning back on Chloe. "I'm sure there are plenty of people who could afford to commission costumes that look awfully like there. Even I could do a reasonable enough job on the costumes given enough time and good, quality materials."

Chloe's brows furrowed, as Sabrina patted her shoulder.

Adrien had to bite his lip to keep from chuckling aloud. It wasn't exactly common knowledge that the two of them both already played dress up from time to time.

"So," Marinette's smile was the endearingly cocky, not-so-secretly pleased that she managed to land a hit against Chloe's wild assertions - even if she couldn't possibly know how true they struck. "Between all of that and all the Akuma we've seen, doesn't it occur to you that there might actually be something weird might be going on?"

* * *

It was a far more tense situation than he had liked, but Marisol's instincts had been right. Waiting gave them opportunity.

The police were so focused on the superheroes, that even the public was flooding their tip lines, taking pictures and sending the superheroes scrambling.

If Ladybug and Chat Noir were trying to find them to vindicate themselves, it would certainly be an exercise in futility.

They had even managed to sneak the goods they had dutifully re-packed into smaller containers that could be dutifully removed from Paris in a small vendor delivery truck.

Will tugged on his black leather gloves, resting beside the camera that he had set to re-loop the prior 10 minutes of feed and checking over his gear one last time..

He had tried to talk her down, promising that he himself would cover the rest out of his own pocket if it was needed.

But Marisol wouldn't hear of it. She was just so stubborn.

Will couldn't very well let her try to do all of this alone.

Not while the superhero duo were almost certain to pounce.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Only one more chapter to go (although it might be a long one)!

Thanks again for all your support and comments, I appreciate each and every one. 3 You all are amazing and keep me pushing forward through these crazy ideas. ;)


	34. Chapter 27: Crime (Part 8 of 9)

Marinette dropped back onto her bed, breathless from running to Alya's and then straight back home.

She was breathing heavily from the exertion, but the widest smile split her face. Finally, finally, they had a plan.

* * *

She hadn't been nearly so happy when Chat Noir had dropped onto her balcony not a full hour ago.

It was still before the sun was down, and she freaked out that he might be spotted and invited him inside...against her better judgement. She still had the posters on the wall and she knew all too well that Chat Noir had a tendency to tease her alter ego.

Luckily, her partner was a bit preoccupied. His feline ears drooped in concert with with his shoulders as he leaned against the wall. "I need to ask a favor, Princess. I know Ladybug trusts you, and I heard from a friend that you don't believe Chat Noir and Ladybug were behind the thefts."

Her brows rose at that. It had to have been someone else in the class. Maybe Adrien? She squealed internally at the thought, as she grinned up at her partner. "That's right. Well, about what I believe of course. And I'm glad that Ladybug trusts me."

"Right." He scratched the back of his head, starting to pace. "I'm not really sure where else to go if you can't help, but this whole mess has made it nearly impossible to reach her. I just missed Ladybug yesterday when she was out."

Marinette bit the inside of her lip, widening her eyes innocently. "And you can't just call her?"

Green eyes narrowed to the floor. "Not when she isn't transformed, too. I was wondering if you had any means to contact Ladybug?"

Marinette frowned. How to play this? "Well, she'll sometimes stop on my balcony, too. Especially when you both were doing more regular patrols."

"That's great!" His face lit up, as his claws dug into the small leather pouch attached to his belt. "Would you mind if I left this out on your balcony with a note? I can always come back and check to see if she'd picked it up."

"Sure." She shook her head fondly, as he bounced on the balls of his feet and handed her one of the phones after checking the screen, putting the other two back in. "So I should put this up for her?"

"Nope!" He beamed eagerly, his ears twitching atop his head as he set himself back up the ladder to her balcony. "But I do have one more favor to ask of you."

* * *

Breathing a little bit easier now, Marinette trudged up the stairs back up to the balcony.

Alya had been delighted with her a burner phone. On the slightest whiff of a hint of Ladybug and Chat Noir being spotted, they would actually come into action. She would do her regular call outs if an Akuma appeared, but these pre-programmed phones would allow them to contact each other and move out to the appropriate location.

They both would owe her a whole series of exclusive interviews once this whole mess was over.

Peering out through the balcony exit, she grinned as she spotted the phone he had left for her Ladybug.

She pulled herself up, making sure the coast was clear of all curious black cats before she'd opened the phone screen.

There were only the two contacts pre-programmed in. And one message.

Marinette's eyes softened as her hand fell over her smiling lips.

"We'll get through this together, my Lady. Cat's Honor."

* * *

Will shook his head, ruefully. They had cracked open the safe and were loading the items out when his version of Chat Noir's baton flashed green.

He had heard that Chat Noir was supposed to be unlucky. Perhaps he had just brought this all on himself just by wearing the outfit.

Marisol!" he hissed, nodding to the baton.

Her eyes widened, hands moving faster to pack things away.

"Leave it."

She scowled, but agreed packing away what she had in her hands as they scrambled to the window.

A run in with the superheroes was the absolute last thing they needed, but if his gear had failed and they had been spotted then the police were probably just about to break in the door.

* * *

Marisol's brows furrowed under her mask as her arms gripped around his shoulders, as the descended on the collapsing baton back down to street level. They would be in the van within the minute but longer if they stopped to drop off their haul safely into the back.

Will had really outdone himself with the gadgets. She wouldn't have been able to move in nearly half the time.

But now he was being ridiculously overprotective, worry darkening his eyes behind the mask.

Frowning, she looked away from his gaze. She had asked for his help for the second pair of eyes and to be used as a decoy, not his protection. She knew how to take care of herself. She had trained for this for years, while he was away at school, stuck behind a desk. Not that she had known at the time that she would use all her physical training for this purpose.

Shaking her head, her eyes scanned the rooftop a moment, spotting the other black cat a few moments too late.

"Will!"

* * *

She had gasped into his ear, barely giving him enough notice to see Chat Noir leaping down off the building.

Will frowned, leaping down the last meter or so and letting the baton finish it's compression in his hands. The baton itself was pretty heavy, but he could still wield it defensively.

Marisol had scrambled to his side, looking up as the glowing eyes descended down upon them.

"Get out of here. Now!"

He heard her feet shuffling but couldn't afford to look back, not with Chat Noir pouncing towards him.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Just one more chapter because action scenes are always such a beast! Thanks to all for your continued support and enabling me to write this little beast. It is so fun. 3


	35. Chapter 27: Crime (Part 9 of 9)

It's the Final Countdown!

*gratuitous air guitar*

* * *

Marisol's eyes scanned the rooftops, her shoulders straightening and her head swiveling as fast as she could manage without making herself sick. If one of them was here, the other couldn't be far behind. The cat was usually the distraction, after all.

She hated the fact that Will had been right.

She hated the fact that he knew he was right even more. If they managed to get out of here, she just knew he would never let her live it down.

Her fists clenched as she spun around on her heel, shifting her focus as quickly as her eyes could make out against the darkness.

She hated the fact that her worry for him let her grow distracted. He had been little else but kind to her and her abuela and was taking such an incredible risk for them both.

Her jaw set. There was no way she was willing to leave him behind, no matter what crazy risk was considering.

She just needed a plan.

* * *

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

Chat pounced closer and then hesitated. He had been so focused on getting here that he hadn't quite thought so far ahead about how to handle the rogue pair.

"A Copy Chat…" Smile wavering, Chat Noir stood at full height, advancing slowly as he spun his baton.

The Copy Chat gripped his own baton more tightly. His leather costume well assembled but not a perfect copy as he stood at least a few inches taller. Shock clearly warred with determination in his blue eyes.

These two were not an Akuma for certain, every finely honed instinct confirming the as fact at such close range. The man's vision was slow, not able to follow the speed changes in the baton spin.

Chat Noir extended his baton just to the side of the man's ear, watching for the delay in the flinch and in the inevitable half step back.

Chat's lips closed into a tight grimace; even his reflexes were much slower. He wasn't sure just how much of his own strength he could safely use. He wanted this man caught for sure, to clear their names. But hurting another human, especially when he wasn't sure if Ladybug's Lucky Charm would even work since the Akuma were not in play...well that made things substantially more difficult.

All of his powers were just a little too destructive in this case, even if this guy was just the littlest bit taller than him.

Chat Noir's eyes narrowed on the copycat baton. He had spotted the pair coming down on it which meant it had to be pretty solid to support them both. If he could get this guy to drop it, before Ladybug arrived, it would be easy enough for her to take it from there.

His eyes flickered, as he tested the other side hoping for some sort of reaction, some way to read how the man would telegraph his moves.

He hadn't expected his copycat's baton to lift slightly.

But that was little in comparison to his shock as his own baton shorted out when the two baton's connected, sparking an arc of blue light.

"Huh." Green eyes widened, his mouth gaping as the failed green lights. "Well, that's a neat trick."

Delight danced in blue eyes, as he pushed Chat Noir backwards.

* * *

Ladybug spotted the girl on the ground, watching the interaction between Chat Noir and his copy and ducked down below the roofline before she could be spotted in turn.

Her red was only half a shade or so off, but it was fairly well put together. It was clear enough to see why a fuzzy picture might have gotten it all wrong.

As she was more than passingly curious as to how someone had managed to pull off that stitching to allow for that much movement but to fit so well.

Chat was always an effective distraction, but she saw with relief that he had noticed the same thing she had and was pulling his punches accordingly, even if he was still irritated with the pair of them.

This was, after all, more of a mess for the police to clean up. They just had a vested interest in seeing justice carried out to clear their own names. Hawkmoth never remained inactive for too long, and their "time off" would certainly be over soon. For so many reasons, they needed Paris to trust them again.

With a frown, she saw that her double was on the move, sneaking around the edge of the van, looking to even the odds for her own partner. Ladybug couldn't tell what was in her hands - or in her mind - but either way, she didn't like it.

Chat Noir must not have noticed her approach. It looked like he was a little preoccupied, his staff not reacting to his commands for some reason.

Her jaw set, her alert eyes so trained by the miraculous powers that her mind connecting the mental dots even without her Lucky Charm activated.

Flinging out her yo-yo, she waited for the last moment to shout. "Chat Noir! Duck!"

The string shot out, looping around their doppelganger's legs, Ladybug dove down, swinging in just the right place to dangle the two by their legs atop the lightpost.

* * *

"Idiot." Marisol grimaced struggling against the string, physically pushing him as far as the string would allow. "Why didn't you get away? You could have gotten away scot free."

Will scoffed, blue eyes wide and angry. "M-If you didn't get back to her, this whole exercise is pointless. Why do you think I told you to leave?"

She huffed, as he grabbed his free arm to help stabilize them both against the nauseating swing back and forth. "Do you think I would have just left you here? After all you've done for her and for me?"

His lips parted in a sigh. "You really should have."

Marisol shook her head, adamant, although she instantly regretted the motion. "No way. Wasn't going to happen."

"Look." His eyes locked with hers, those sea blue eyes softening. "You and your Grandmother were more of a family than my own relatives. Grandfather understood that. It's why he brought me all those years ago. Why he left me his home."

She swallowed audibly, her mouth opening in silent question that remained unasked.

His thumb dragged along her arm, his tongue darting out nervously to drag along his bottom lip. "If I left something happen to either of you, when I could have done something, I would never have been able to forgive myself."

"Oh." Her pulse was racing, although she couldn't be sure that wasn't just from the blood rushing down into her face. Well that did answer one question, but it left her with one other.

He cleared his throat, awkwardly. "So there is that…"

She darted a curious look over to their young captors, who were watching with poorly veiled interest but seemed happy enough to let them chatter.

"You're right." She smiled, leaning in closer. "Of course, that is a lot to take in."

He blinked back at her, his skin flushing brightly as he nodded. "Right."

"Lucky for you, I've always been a quick learner." Her lips curved upwards as she wove her fingers into his hair and bridged the gap between their lips.

* * *

Chat Noir turned on his heel at her side. "Well, that just got awkward."

Ladybug still held fast to the string, but was blushingly giving them a moment's privacy. Clearly there was a little bit more to the story.

"Unless you'd also fancy a kiss, my Lady." Chat Noir's eyebrows waggled ridiculously beneath the mask.

She rolled her eyes, readjusting her grip on the yo-yo string before pushing back on his nose. "No need to confuse the police any more than they already are, Chaton."

A groan came from behind them at the mention of the police. "Well, that one way to kill the mood."

Ladybug's copy cat shook her head fondly. "Well, the girl is right. That's not a cat, that's a kitten."

Chat Noir sputtered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Rude."

Ladybug snorted, struggling to keep her hold, as she doubled over in a fit of giggles.

"I'm pretty sure they both are kids."

"Guess we had that part wrong, after all."

* * *

Chat was still shaking his head, as Ladybug's laughter had finally subsided. "Think we should let them down? I mean, that can't be good for them."

Ladybug smiled. "You seem to tolerate it well enough from time to time."

"Yeah," he shifted uncomfortably, "but to be fair I also have super powers. Besides, if they tried to escape again, you could catch them again just as quickly."

Ladybug nodded, glad enough to give her arms a bit of a rest.

* * *

While they waited, the copycats had humored their curiosity.

Ladybug pored over their outfits in careful detail, filing away details for her own personal use later. Who knows when a spare Ladybug costume might actually come in handy? Or a set of one for each day of the week…

Chat tinkered with Will's gadgets. It's super fun, he totally wants one.

He tried not to focus on the pair of them cuddled up together in outfits that all too closely resembled them.

They had heard the short tale of how this was all being done to help the lady's grandmother. Both Ladybug and Chat Noir felt sorry for the pair, but it was clear that someone needed to reassure the police that Ladybug and Chat Noir were innocent of the thefts. Too many people's safety relied upon them.

Part out of curiosity and part out of desire to do the right thing, Ladybug tried to set off a Lucky Charm, which did seem to clean up this crime scene.

Office Raincomprix had arrived with another two patrol cars, watching Ladybug swinging out of sight to re-charge. "Ah. Now, which is the real Chat Noir?"

"Sadly," Chat Noir sighed, gesturing back to where the doppelgangers were cuddled up to one another, sharing a kiss. "Us the real heroes never get to have that much fun.

The Copy Chat chuckled as they both stood up. He ruffled Chat Noir's hair, winking before he let the police cart them both over to the van, masking still in place. "Patience, kid. She might just surprise you."

* * *

"Of course, Ladybug and Chat Noir were proven to be innocent of all wrong-doing." Alya triumphantly read the story in class the next day.

Marinette grinned. "Like we knew they both would be."

Alya fist bumped her. "You know it, girl!"

Chloe rolled her eyes but otherwise was pleasantly silent.

Marinette smirked, blushing slightly when she noticed Adrien smiling up at their antics.

Clearing her throat, Alya continued on. "But it sounds like the actual criminals managed to get away."

"What?" Marinette leaned over to read with her own eyes.

"On the way to processing, the pair of criminals, who were photographed in a nearly perfect pair of Ladybug and Chat Noir costumes at the scene of the second (attempted) robbery, escaped out of the back of the van, leaving a case of gear and their costumes."

Marinette gaped. "Unbelievable."

"Think they'll be back?" Nino asked.

Surprisingly, it was Adrien who spoke up. "They left their tools and their costumes, right? Something tells me they got what they came here for."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

And that's a wrap! Hope you all enjoyed the ride. Thank you all so much for your support, especially SeasonoftheGeek!

I'll continue with the remaining prompts Day 28-31 for Lady Noir July, but they probably will be fewer and farther between.


	36. Ch 28: (In Love With a) Laugh - Part 1

Author's Note: Multi-part drabble because I clearly have issues. Also, this was a speed write to get be back into the swing of writing, so please mind the likely errors.

* * *

Ladybug threw her weight into the swing, catching ample airtime before her yo-yo shot out with pinpoint accuracy.

This job was stressful. It was exhausting.

Some days, the job even tested the limits of the ridiculous and the absurd. Things that had seemed outright unbelievable not even one years ago now seemed downright mundane.

To top it all off, it was even - rather unfortunately - unpaid.

Of course, that was assuming one didn't count the feel of the breeze whipping against her face and through her hair as she sprinted across the rooftops and swung her way around the city or the adrenaline rush that coursed through her veins as they just barely eked out victory in the nick of time and she sprinted away before Tikki's powers wore off or she was missed in her everyday life.

In her alter ego, she couldn't even tell anyone who she was, not even her own partner.

And truth be told, if she had to ever do it all over again but on her own, she might very well have given up a long time ago. Considering the sheer number of people in her life that the Akuma had touched, that was a truly terrifying notion.

But Chat Noir had been the one true constant in her life (outside of Tikki, of course). He was the second pair of eyes. He always had her back. her Chaton was a surprising source of strength, especially when circumstance had worn her down while she wore the red and spots. Tikki couldn't be there to pick her up, but Chat Noir never failed to try.

And she knew him well in return. Knew every smirk, every quirked eyebrow that danced merrily behind that mask. She could feel when he was gearing up to flirt and occasionally had beat him to the punch in rolling her eyes.

She shook her head as she landed atop the corner of a rooftop, scanning the skyline. Even without the finely honed senses that she borrowed from Tikki, Marinette could spot every pun coming from a mile away.

That was why Alya's notion that Adrien was Chat Noir was patently absurd.

She knew them both, far too well.

She'd had Adrien's posters covering most of her pink bedroom walls. She had his schedule mapped out and nearly committed to memory. She stared at his head in class each school day.

It had taken a while, but she'd even managed to form whole sentences in his presence without sticking her foot into her mouth whole.

Ladybug set her jaw, looping back towards her own rooftop. It wasn't the first time Alya had suggested it, but so help her, it would be the last.

So, she had formulated a plan.

Not that Tikki approved, of course. Their identities were supposed to stay secret for a reason.

In all the time that she and Chat Noir had spent together, she could never honestly say she had heard him laugh.

But Adrien's laugh? Well, that haunted her dreams. She was confident that every bit of Miraculous magic wouldn't be able to mask that musical sound from her own ears.

Ladybug grinned, as she picked up speed. She knew what she needed to do.

She just needed to figure out how best to get her kitten to crack.


	37. Ch 28: (In Love With a) Laugh - Part 2

By the time she reached the roof of Notre Dame, spotting her partner vaulting atop the roof, she had an idea in mind.

Much as it pained her.

Puns.

Chat Noir was an absolute sucker for puns. Good puns, bad puns. Playing on every sort of word in his surprisingly expansive vocabulary. He dropped them at nearly every opportunity, and his face lit up whenever she'd bantered right back.

It was a guaranteed success.

* * *

Marinette dropped down onto her bed with a flomp, letting Tikki come up to cuddle her face as her transformation faded in a wash of pink.

Her hand dropped over her face dramatically.

Tikki exhaled, watching the range of emotions play out over her chosen's features. "Marinette. Don't you think you're making too much of this?"

The girl grumbled. "How can I not? This should have been easy..."

* * *

And yet, she had failed. Utterly.

Somehow, she managed to avoid to find a pun that didn't make her want to plant her own face into the nearest light pole - of which where were a surprising number within the City.

They'd managed to go through well over half of the patrol in relative silence before she'd even had the slightest bit of a reasonable idea.

Ladybug had to admit her clever kitten had a knack for clever wordplay, but darn it if wasn't hard to come up with something clever on the spot, especially where there was so much riding on it.

He'd grown anxious, breaking through the silence himself. "Something on your mind, Bugaboo?"

She had snorted, letting the momentum and muscle memory carry through the rest of her swing. "Just a little too much of a good swing."

"Ah!" Did you just pun?" Chat's eyes widened, his too bright teeth fairly glimmering in the dark. "That's puntastic!"

He fairly danced around her, dropping down from the pole to alight onto the next roof. His excitement was almost puppyish in how little he could contain it.

"Now tell me. How did I finally convert you?" His eyebrows waggled. "Did you finally manage to fall for my charms after all?"

With a sigh, she dropped onto the roof as her yo-yo dropped it's hold, the string magically spiralling back into the red base. All of this and he still wasn't laughing. "Ah. Swing and a miss, Chaton."

He dropped down beside her, glowing green eyes full of unasked questions and concern.

She smiled a little too brightly. "Don't worry, Chaton. It's not your vault."

Chat Noir smirked at that, shaking his head dolefully. "I really do have so much to teach you."

"Au contraire, mon chaton," Ladybug pushed him away by the nose, wincing slightly as the chirp of her earrings let her know that Tikki was ready to turn in for the night. "I think you might be the one with quite a bit to learn."

The barest hint of a frown crossed over his face, before he tipped his fingers to his head in mock salute. "I look forward to it, my Lady."

Scrambled to the other end of the roof to head home, Ladybug had dared to peer back, catching his brazen wink.

* * *

That cat just thought he was sooo clever.

Marinette grumbled, tugging her covers up over in head as if that would block out her own embarrassment.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared up at the shade of the covers. This is what came out of poor planning.

She would be better prepared next time.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Little by little, I'm getting back into the swing of things. ;)

I'm not even going to guess how many chapters this one might end up being since I was so wrong on the Crime prompt. :D


	38. Ch 28: (In Love With a) Laugh - Part 3

Freshly transformed, Chat Noir stretched lazily atop his own roof.

He still didn't know what had gotten into Ladybug to inspire her short streak of puns.

He spent the better part of the previous night grinning and sighing. If you asked Plagg, he was apparently so bad about it that the had fled off into the trash can with a pile of Camembert grumbling about the need to shelter his delicate cat god ears from "all the sighing and giggles."

He could barely suppress his own grin during the day in class or during his afternoon photoshoot.

But whatever he did, he needed to figure it out again fast...and do it every time they met up.

Arsenal of puns at the ready, he vaulting across the way headed towards their usual patrol meet up point.

* * *

Ladybug usually preferred to talk through the patrol before they headed off. He was always thankful that she'd often get a moment to peruse the Ladyblog's updates section before they both headed out, often because he was all too often running straight from the dinner table or from a later photoshoot.

He made it up with time after the patrol, but it really wasn't quite the same, so he'd rely on her knowledge of what direction was best.

Chat Noir had come to expect this discussion out of sheer habit.

By the time he landed on that all too familiar rooftop, Ladybug already had her yo-yo out and spinning. She smirked up at him, spooling together her yo-yo just in time for him to hit the rooftop just beside her.

He didn't expect her to smirk and turn on her heel to dash in the opposite direction, giving him no choice but to make chase.

Clearly something was up, if the quirk of her lips gave any indication, but she kept mum as she sped off, slinging her yo-yo and swinging nearly as fast as she could. She had the edge on him in speed, but his costume had granted him an extra measure of strength, leaving them evenly matched and evenly paced.

She didn't even bother to look back.

But then again, Ladybug had to know by know that he would follow wherever she might lead him.

* * *

As soon as Ladybug had dragged him to the top of the Hotel Pairs, she whirled about and turned on him.

She looped her yo-yo around his baton, jarring him off balance. He retracted the baton, loosening the yo-yo's hold.

Teeth clenched and eyes narrowed, Chat regained his footing quickly, balancing himself on the balls of his feet. It wasn't as if she didn't leave him feeling that dizzy and disoriented on a near daily basis. Between her and the never ending string of Akuma, he had learned to be very quick to land back on his feet.

It was so important to keep them both safe, so he needed to be ready for anything. Nothing else was more important - not even his own undying affection for her.

Spinning the baton in his hands to keep her yo-yo from snagging it again, he advanced.

Her eyes narrowed as her yo-yo spun, clearly preparing to deflect whatever he would send her way.

Spying an opening, he thrust the baton forward, at a point beside her head, anticipating she would dodge the other way.

And dodge she did.

Chat Noir smirked.

But Ladybug had also anticipated his move. Her yo-yo had already snagged the bottom of his baton and he was off balance again, toppling back onto the hard top cover of the pool.

The suit cushioned his fall enough to leave him only a little breathless.

Ruefully, he grinned, his eyes momentarily closed while he steadied his breath. They really did know each other far too well.

At least that's what he thought.

Chat Noir blinked his eyes open wide, the brightest blush burning both pair of ears, right to the tips.

He wasn't entirely sure what to make of the lovely but perplexed blue eyes staring back down at him. Ladybug's fingers grazed the sides of his chest, as she half kneeled over him.

He didn't even dare to breathe as he gaped up at her in amazement. Whatever he had been doing was clearly right. His mind raced, replaying the short fight, wondering again what he had done to be so lucky.

"Huh?" The utterance trembled out of his mouth before he could rein it in. Wincing at his own lack of cleverness, Chat allowed himself a self-deprecating smile. Well, wasn't that Clever, Chat Noir?

"What?" Ladybug frowned, startled eyes darting up to meet his. "Oh." She gasped, finally realizing their position as she back pedalled.

His face fell as the cool night air rushed back over him.

"Umm...Sorry about that, Chat Noir." Ladybug still knelt beside him, frowning and fidgeting as he sat back up. Her eyes wouldn't meet his at all; instead she breathed noisily, staring down at her curled fingers in accusation.

With the blush of her own clearly settling onto her cheeks, she was so absurdly irritated that it was adorable.

He tilted his head, confusion narrowing his eyes. What was she so angry about then? "We're you trying to practice just in case one of us managed to be Akumatized."

Ladybug blinked and then nodded absently. "Yep. That's exactly what we were doing."

He grinned, nodding in satisfaction with that answer. He stood back up, stretching lazily before settling his own hands behind his head.

If he was lucky, even a few of the future sparring sessions might end up like that again. He might even throw one or two - just for good measure.

Chat Noir grinned out over the view of the city's lights.

Perhaps Ladybug's good luck was rubbing off on him.

* * *

Ladybug dragged her hands over her face to mask the groan and the roll of her eyes once he turned his self-satisfied gaze away from her.

Of course, Chat Noir wouldn't be ticklish. Not with that heavy, leather-like suit as protection.

She grumbled, turning her thoughts to a new plan...

One that she would definitely test out first.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Two more chapters of this one, I think unless the fifth chapter ends up getting a mind of its own. :D

Thank you all so, so much for your support. Seriously, I will never, ever be over it. 3


	39. Ch 28: (In Love With a) Laugh - Part 4

Author's Notes:

I'm fighting a bad case of writer's block right now for all sort of reasons, so rather than let this segment just sit and stew in my Google Docs while I hem and haw and try to move forward, I'm splitting this mini-chapter out. Any words of encouragement are so greatly appreciated.

* * *

Tikki frowned. As soon as Marinette had broken the transformation, her charge had that look in her eyes that she knew would be trouble.

"Marinette. That's why I keep telling you this isn't a good idea."

"But Alya is wrong, Tikki."

Tikki muffled her sigh into her chocolate chip cookie. "She might be, yes."

"Might?" Marinette echoed in disbelief.

Tikki exhaled, narrowing her tiny blue eyes at her charge. Whenever Marinette got it into her head that she was right, she ran headlong forward - despite her own good advice. It's part of what made her a good Ladybug. But it wasn't without its challenges.

"We have no real way to know who Chat Noir actually is. Just as he and his kwami wouldn't have any idea how you are."

* * *

Marinette crossed her arms, staring up into her skylight well past midnight. Tikki had fallen asleep hours ago, softly snoring in the tiny alcove Marinette had made and cushioned in her desk drawer.

But sleep eluded her. Her mind was running through a whole slew of ideas and dismissing just about as many as she'd come up with.

There had to be something. Something foolproof she was missing.

Restless, she dropped her arm over her forehead, shielding the moonlight from her eyes.

Alya had to be wrong.

She had to be. The alternative was literally too ridiculous to be believed.

Chat Noir and Adrien - their personalities - were so, so different.

But the more she had allowed herself to think about it, for all this time they had worked together, she honestly couldn't remember Chat Noir really and truly laughing.

Marinette bit her lip, anxious. She knew that she had laughed. What Chat Noir around, he kind of made it hard not to. He made a point to keep even these darker moments as lighthearted as he could manage. She had bantered back without a doubt.

He'd grinned. He smirked. He beamed. He even snorted a time or two.

She'd nearly doubled over from the sheer absurdity of the situation when he had done that.

But a real laugh? Somehow that seemed to elude him.

And for all this time, she somehow seemed to have missed it. Her hand dragged over her face. What kind of a partner - what kind of a friend - did it make her not have realized that?

As Ladybug she had the power of creation. Shouldn't that be something that should fall within her capabilities?

To create a little more joy in her partner's life, no matter who Chat Noir might actually be behind that mask.

* * *

Marinette grinned as she walked into school. She'd gotten up early, put on makeup and her nicest outfit. She was even wearing her lucky socks. She'd carried her own lucky charm around for long enough, she just had to borrow a bit of Ladybug courage from.

Finally. She had it this time. A plan she knew was sure to work.

Now, she just had to prove she was right first.

She just had to find a willing target.

Alya was going on and on about her latest article, not really noticing that Marinette wasn't super focused on the history of luck and black cats.

Her eyes flit around the classroom, assessing quickly. Nino - Nope, explaining to Alya was not an option.

Nathaniel was almost sure to get the wrong idea.

Ivan was very clearly taken.

Max would break down her reaction in a weird, mathematical way. His input was...not entirely reliable.

Kim...well, he at least had a bit more of a sense of humor, but he was a bit slower on the uptake. Sweet, just not really that reliable for this exercise.

She gulped, when the only other, viable option entered the classroom.

"Hey, Nino!"

Her eyes darted back to the open book on her desktop, flushing. She didn't dare look up. Not while she was actively contemplating the impossible.

Maybe she could find someone else in the hallways to - uh...practice on? Someone who might actually forgot the fool she was definitely about to make of herself.


	40. Ch 28: (In Love With a) Laugh - Part 5

Author's Notes:

1745 words. Take that writer's block!

* * *

Alya eyed Marinette suspiciously. She knew the girl was not listening to her wax philosophical on her articles; she'd learned the signs of that tune out weeks ago.

Luckily, she was also able to multi-task. She'd learned the trick long ago, knowing Marinette would technically tune out for her more pedantic topics in particular.

Say what she wanted, Marinette was always much more interested when the topic ran to damage reports or identity clues. To thoughts of what Hawkmoth was after or who he might actually be beneath the mask.

But subtle Marinette was not.

Her friend was totally distracted and resembled a startled rabbit the instant Adrien entered the room.

* * *

Marinette had barely settled down by the time the first lecture had finished.

She had yet to respond to a single one of her notes, but her face kept getting a bit more pale as she read each one.

Alya crossed her arms over her chest. Noting the not-so-subtle direction on her friend's eyes. She could wait until lunchtime and then she was going to get to the bottom of this mess.

* * *

By the time, Alya had cornered her over by the lockers, Marinette was half ready to pass out from the anxiety. There had to be some other way. Flirting with Adrien? There was no way she'd survive it.

Not even for all her worried for Chat Noir.

"Alright, girl. Spill."

Plastering a super fake grin on her face, Marinette forced her eyes overly wide and guileless as she could muster.

Alya's narrowed eyes were a pretty sure sign that she wasn't buying the act. Any further doubts were erased with her deadpan, "Really? That's adorable."

Marinette pouted, her fingertips anxiously pressing together. "This is going to seem like a weird question."

"Oh?"

"How do you flirt?" Marinette frowned.

Alya smirked, her hands crossing her chest. "Is that all?"

"With a guy...who's a friend."

Alya quirked a doubtful brow at that. "Just a friend?"

"Yep!" Marinette's voice jumped half an octave higher without consulting her, she smiled, sweetly hoping it would cover the omission. "Just a friend."

"And why haven't I heard about this friend?"

Marinette flinched. Alya always was too canny by half. "I sometimes play Ultimate Mecha Strike III online after Dad crashes, and this one guy has been super fun to trounce. I just kind of found out he's not quite so happy as he pretends, so I've been trying to cheer him up, trying to get him to laugh."

"You really are the sweetest. You know that right." Shaking her head, Alya ruffled Marinette's bangs affectionately.

Marinette beamed. "Thanks...but I've had no luck. No matter what I do, I swear I just cannot get this boy to laugh. I've tried jokes and banter. I'm literally trying my awful attempts at flirting as a last ditch effort."

"You're not bad at flirting, M."

Marinette shot her a pointed look.

"Right," Alya countered, "but it is different thing when it is joking and when it means something to you. The more anxious about it, it just gets that much harder to do…" Alya trailed off.

Blinking, Marinette nodded, pushing the conversation forward. "Right. That's why I kind of wanted to practice to make sure it would make an impartial person laugh as well." She paused as Alya hadn't jumped in as she usually would. "So what should I do?"

Alya had been staring, off in her own world. She shook her head when she'd noticed Marinette's eyes on her. "Huh? Sorry. Let's grab some lunch while we puzzle this out."

* * *

Alya tapped her foot as Sabine Cheng rushed to pull together lunch at the table.

Marinette might have unwittingly provided her own solution to her terrible shyness around Adrien. She just couldn't know he was there. But how could she pull it off?

Nino kept insisting that Adrien actually had this wicked sense of humor, one his Dad definitely didn't approve in his carefully crafted public image of his own son.

Marinette was busy, writing down a list of items.

Alya took a peek over her shoulder at counter, squinting in disbelief. "Puns? I thought you hated those."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "I'm definitely not a fan, although every once in awhile I hear one that will make me smile rather than groan."

Alya's eyes narrowed. Despite the explanation, Marinette hadn't slowed her speed, her pen still scratching over the paper furiously. "So this guy likes cat puns?:"

"Yes, he's a huge fan of Chat Noir and he is positively awful about them. Pawful, in fact." Marinette winced at her own correction. "Seriously, it's almost like playing games with my Dad, he's so ridiculous about it."

Alya quirked a brow. It was funny, Marinette was so overt and so over the top about her feelings for Adrien, but that kind of subtle and understated affection very much tracked with her own interactions with Nino.

It begged the question: if Marinette cared for this guy - and she clearly did or she wouldn't be so invested and worried - then why was she keeping this guy under the radar?

Marinette deserved every bit of a chance with Adrien. And the boy was an absolute fool if he didn't take her up on the offer - assuming she could actually manage to stammer it out.

But if that didn't work, it sounded like she actually had another beau waiting in the wings. One she cared about enough to even consider the risk in making a fool of herself in front of Adrien.

After only a moment's hesitation, she shot off a text to Nino.

* * *

Marinette walked back to school side by side with Alya. Some of these lines were just over the top, but she was channeling her best Chat Noir to pull it all off.

But Alya was just being impawsible.

Alya had just about died laughing when they were going through one of the crosswalks, which was definitely bode well for her later chatter with Chat Noir, but as a far less helpful sign for both of them getting back to school in one piece.

Seriously. Some of these jokes weren't that funny. She'd heard them herself often enough to know.

Were it not for her superhero side gig, she might really have struggled to drag Alya bodily out of the crosswalk - it wasn't the first time she'd had to do that for someone - but even now Alya smirked down at her phone.

Of course, if she were not Ladybug, she probably wouldn't even know Chat Noir well enough to be rightfully concerned about him.

* * *

Alya couldn't help but laugh. Marinette was so committed to this little project, but she still was offended by the puns and couldn't help but wrinkle up her nose in frustration. Nino better get here quick with Adrien, while she was still up to these antics.

He had just texted back that he was inbound when Marinette had hauled her bodily from the intersection. At least she was paying attention.

"So have you figured out which ones you might use?"

"Not entirely sure yet." Marinette mused aloud. "He's pretty quick on his feet...in the game, you know...so I just have to figure out what he's likely to say to figure out how to respond."

* * *

Adrien had sighed when Nino had dragged him to an out of the way cafe. At least they both had managed to dodge the Gorilla, and he'd managed to sneak in a little bit of an extra snack that would make his nutritionist break into fits.

Luckily, he could burn the calories off in no time at all.

He was just finishing up his requisite phone check in when they had spotted Alya half a block ahead. Nino waved, grinning like a maniac.

She looked up and smiled, before her eyes snapped back to Marinette.

The shorter girl hadn't noticed their approach and kept speaking to Alya. Her pigtailed bobbed as she shrugged, her hands lifting in the air as her head tilted. "That's impawsible. There's no way there is someone better fur me than you."

Adrien felt the blush color his face, even as he'd covered his own mild embarrassment with a chuckle. Even untransformed his hearing stayed a bit better than it had always been. He knew he heard that inflection and emphasis that pushed her comments into punning territory.

Alya grinned, as Marinette turned around, blue eyes wide and mouth gaping. "See, Marinette. I told you that one would work."

* * *

"Bye, bye, little butterfly."

Chat Noir felt the sweating beading up beneath his collar. Today had already been to warm before they both had to run across the rooftops of Paris in the midday sun.

He hadn't been back in class from lunch for long before the inevitable scream rang out across the school yard, leaving them all to scramble from the classroom to safety - or in his own case - to transform and take the Akuma out.

The fight had taken quite some, leaving them both a little breathless once the Akuma had been caught up on the rooftops. He barely was able to keep the Akuma distracted and moving away from her so she could successfully deploy her Lucky Charm.

Smiling, she extended her fist, which he met, if a bit wearily. "Pound it."

"Sorry, I wasn't better help, My Lady."

Ladybug, who had been gearing up to get moving back towards her other life, turned back to him with a frown. "What on earth do you mean?"

"It's just," he sighed. "I was barely able to keep the Akuma focused on me. What sort of a protector am I if I can't do that for you?"

"What are you even talking about?" Ladybug was standing over him, her arms crossed. "You're not my protector, Chat Noir. You're my partner."

He scowled. "I'm a pretty useless one if I couldn't keep you from getting hit."

"I'm pretty sure that's impawsible." Ladybug lips twitched, humor dancing through her own sincerity, as she tapped her finger to his nose. "There's no way there is someone else better partner fur me than you."

Blinking, he gaped at Ladybug. Well, that was uncanny.

Her too blue eyes bore into him, shimmering with concern. "I mean it, Chaton. You're my purrecious furend."

His eyes flew wide as he felt his back collide with the stone chimney as the earth had shifted beneath his feet.

"Sorry, Chat," Ladybug winced as her earrings beeped. "I'm going to need to get moving. Are you sure you're okay?"

Chat Noir swallowed against the hard lump that had formed in his throat, before nodding.


	41. Ch 28: (In Love With a) Laugh - Part 6

Chat Noir was just floored. He wasn't sure how long he sat, slumping against the side of the roof, dazed.

His cheeks warmed with the knowledge he'd gained without her knowing. He would have to tell her. He knew he would, just as soon as he figured out how.

His movements grew restless, alternately sitting and then stretching his legs shifting to pace the thin stretch of roof in turns.

He just couldn't quite get over the fact that he knew his Lady. He really, truly knew her, in ways he hadn't really even hoped.

Marinette was a friend...and a good one at that, just as kind and caring and strong in the costume as she had been out of it.

His claws raked into his hair, jostling his right cat ear slightly. He should have known it, should have seen it.

In so many little ways, it should have been obvious. Her hairstyle for one, which didn't really seem to change when she transformed as he did. Her eyes changed a little, gaining some little extra color that made them just the slightest bit more compelling through the red spotted mask. Her kindness towards others, particularly those in need of help. That strong sense of right and wrong.

Not that she didn't get it wrong every once in awhile. But that also made her more human.

More real. More touchable.

Chat Noir blushed at that thought.

As an Akuma-fighting partner, he had rather unrestrained feelings for Ladybug, although she always kept him at arms length.

But now he knew that he sat just about that far away from her every day in class. He had even managed to have more than a few conversations with her, as the months had passed.

He hadn't ever lied to her when he told her she was impressive. Marinette was skilled enough to even impress his father, something he struggled with daily - not matter how much effort he applied to the task.

She had even been worried for him for some odd reason. Of course, he was curious what he had said or done to have her so concerned. But that was just one of far too many mysteries he was trying to piece together.

It was a little bit intimidating. She was a little intimidating.

But because they were already friends, he couldn't help but wonder if she might not mind if they were to become just a little bit closer.

* * *

Staring at the empty chair in front of her, Marinette was worried.

At least she was in good company.

Nino kept checking his phone obsessively under his desk throughout the class. Even though she was sure Madame Bustier had spotted the phone, she seemed to notice Nino's agitation with the empty chair beside him and overlooked his concern.

Adrien never came back to school in the afternoon.

Usually whenever Adrien had a shoot, he mentioned it in advance. However, he wasn't even answering his phone for well over a two hours and even with his father's strict requirements, he was still required to get a break for time when he worked for at least that long.

But by the time classes had ended, Nino still hadn't gotten word.

Without a word, all the three of them set out onto the streets between school and his home to look for some hint of Adrien.

* * *

Chat had hardly noticed as mid-day sun had drifted away into early evening before his own transformation had expired.

Not until Plagg had popped out from the ring and was demanding cheese.

Or, at the very least, a response.

"What's the matter with you kid?"

Blinking slowly, his eyes locked with a pair of unimpressed glowing green.

"Ladybug...she is…"

Plagg sighed heavily, lifting his eyes to the heavens dramatically. But the cheeky smirk belied his own amusement. "Oh, Thank Camembert! He's finally figured it out."

Adrien rolled his eyes. Clearly, he had seen this all before.

Wait. "Finally?"

"I told you, didn't I?" Plagg grinned cheekily. "From one of those first few days. Girlfriend. But, oh no. You wouldn't believe me."

"So you knew?"

"Oh course." Plagg looked offended, when he pouted up at him. "Kid, think about it. You borrow my senses when you are in that suit. If you know who she is now, then you know just how close to you she has been."

Adrien gaped at the tiny black cat-god. "So you just let me think…"

"Well, I couldn't tell you straight out." Plagg half-soothed, one tiny eyebrow quirked. "For us Kwami, it's basically a rule, especially with how easy it is find find information in these times. Centuries ago, people the next city over wouldn't even necessarily know what a miraculous was. Now people around the world are probably quite literally watching."

He glared, crossing his arms over his chest. Oh he understood alright, but he didn't have to like it.

Plagg's other brow rose. "It wasn't like I didn't try to point it out to you. I mean, do you remember who pointed out that you might want to get an autograph from your designer friend when she designed the cover for that ridiculous rock star?"

Eyes narrowed, Adrien vaguely recalled the day. Plagg had been oddly persistent.

"I kept hoping you would find it familiar after all, but even after all those months - and so, so much lovesick sighing - you didn't put the pieces together?" Plagg grumbled. "Of course you didn't."

Adrien frowned. "What writing would I have had to compare it to?"

Plagg simply rolled his eyes, pointing to the desk drawer that held all of this treasures from Ladybug. "Of course you couldn't see it, but I couldn't help but identify the scents."

Eyes widened, Adrien tugged open the drawer, rifling through the small stack of pictures and tokens. But there was only one other thing with that now familiar writing on it after all.

"Tikki might not be able to sense as strongly as I so, but she's a clever bug. She had to be reasoned out who you really were."

"Tikki?"'

Plagg smirked. "Ladybug's Kwami."

Adrien's eyes drifted to the signed CD on his wall, his eyes comparing every loop, every dotted i and crossed t to the pink heart in his now shaking hands.

He breathed. "So she has been…"

"Ladybug since the beginning?" Plagg nodded. "Yup. It checked out with Tikki's past choices anyways. Clever. Stubborn. Strong sense of right and wrong." Plagg's eyes veered off. "Although those latter two have been getting this bug into a bit of trouble."

Adrien stared up at the CD in wonder, before sinking back down into his computer chair to re-read the Valentine he'd only thought he'd committed to memory.

* * *

It was almost an hour later when he'd been able to set aside the heart and notice the long train of text messages from Nino, attempting to check in.

He hit the call button as soon as he'd realized.

"Hey, Nino."

"Dude, are you okay?"

Eyes still a bit dazed, Adrien spun around in his chair. "I got some news that kind of surprised me and I had turned off my phone. Not really sure I can tell anyone as it's related to...work."

Nino hesitated. "Is it bad?"

"No." Adrien spoke quickly. "Oh, not at all. It's just...not what I had expected. I just need a little time to myself to figure things out."

Nino hummed back. "I get that. It's just Alya and Marinette and I have all been trying to track you down, since you didn't come back to class."

Adrien smiled, spying Plagg eating noisily in his favorite trashcan. "Don't worry. With any luck I'll be back to school tomorrow."

* * *

Marinette raced home, checking her phone for any update from Alya or Nino at every stop for a traffic signal.

She had a plan: one that involved changing into red and spots to do a little reconnaissance of her own.

What she hadn't expected to spot Chat Noir sitting up on her rooftop railing.

That was convenient. Another pair of eyes would be super handy.

She a smile, she ducked into the bakery first to grab a plate of snacks to help sweeten the deal.

* * *

It was altering, seeing his Lady come up the stairs.

Marinette smiled over the plate of cookies not-so-delicately balanced in her hands as she'd snuck up through the skylight. She was missing some of the typical grace he'd come to expect from her alter ego, but she'd actually been quite honest that first day. She was rather madly clumsy.

He caught the plate of cookies before they had dropped on the roof.

Her relieved smile was genuine. As was the fetching blush that colored her cheeks.

"What's brought you up here today, Chat Noir?"

He smiled lazily. "Just resting in between patrol runs."

She frowned. "You normally stay out this long?"

"Not normally. I just had a lot to think about."

She blinked, before offering him another cookie from the plate. "Need a distraction?"

Chat Noir raised his brows at that. "What kind of distraction?"

"A friend of mine is missing." Marinette bit her lip anxiously. "If you had the time and didn't mind helping out, I figured an extra pair of eyes from above might help out."

He bowed with a flourish. "My eyes are at your disposal, Princess."

She grinned, bouncing adorably on the balls of her feet. "Oh, excellent."

"Who is it that's missing?"

"Adrien Agreste."

Chat blinked, nibbling on one of the cookies she'd offered.

She must have taken his silence for confusion, racing to fill the silence with a rapid fire explanation. "Nino was really worried earlier, as Adrien hadn't responded to his texts. We were all out looking for a while, but I knew I needed to check in here at home before my parents got worried about me."

Marinette was so animated, in a way he hadn't often seen whenever he was around as himself.

His lips chased upwards, as her words tumbled together.

It was kind of funny to think that despite all of his heartfelt belief that Ladybug was as amazing - and she was, she is - she was also just as clumsy and unsure as he often felt.

But maybe he was just a little more graceful and practiced on his own two feet with all of his forced extracurricular activities.

Maybe he just hadn't wanted to see it. Maybe it was more that he hadn't been ready to see it just then.

* * *

Marinette stopped when she found Chat Noir's emerald gaze trained on her.

"I think I know where to find him, Princess." His muscled tensed into a crouch atop the rail, his fingers tipping in a mock salute as mirth danced in his eyes. . "I suspect you'll be hearing from him soon."

Smiled, happy that she'd trusted her instincts to leave it to her Chaton.

Her eyes lit up as she watched her partner dart off in the direction of Adrien's house.

It was only then that she'd heard Chat Noir's wholehearted laughter echoing out over the rooftops.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

I cannot thank you all enough for the continued support. You all are the best; never doubt it! 3


	42. Ch 28: (In Love With a) Laugh - Part 7

Thanks to enberlight for the quick beta of most of this chapter. *hugs*

* * *

Marinette fell to her knees on the rooftop, as her world tip tilted off its usual axis.

Chat Noir laughed.

He'd laughed.

After all she had tried - and failed - over and over again.

But that wasn't why she was gaping. Her unfocused gaze trained upon her hands. She struggled to feel the ground stay steady beneath her.

Marinette's brain wasn't letting her do too much more for the moment as his chuckle slipped away into the night..

All because she'd known that echoing, musical laugh far, far too well for her own comfort.

"Oh, No!" Marinette's hands raked the sides of her face. "If Alya finds out, she will never let me live this down."

Tikki hauled out of her hiding place. "Marinette? What's the matter?"

"He's Chat…" The heat rose into her cheeks under her hands.

Tikki blinked guilelessly. "Who is?"

"Adrien." Marinette frowned at her kwami. "I would know that laugh anywhere."

The red kwami chuckled. "Oh good."

"Huh?" Her eyes widened.

Tikki grinned. "You figured it out. I always knew you would."

Her eyes goggled. "You mean...you knew?"

The kwami's grin grew. "Marinette, you know how old I am. The holders of the Cat and Ladybug miraculous have long been two sides of the same coin. Sometimes they are siblings. Sometimes parent and child, especially in times of great and costly wars. When I have been very, very lucky they have been truest of soul mates."

Marinette's eyes goggled. "So we're…?"

"Certainly not siblings." Tikki smirked. "And I've not been wrong to enjoy your crush on his civilian self. It proved I was right on my guess."

"But I've been making a total fool of myself." Marinette sat up, dropping her head onto her knees to hide her blush.

"By following your feelings?" Tikki snorted, snuggling in closer to Marinette's cheek. "Hardly. Human teenage hormones always wreak havoc. That's nothing new and nothing that won't settle down with time. Besides, if I am not mistaken, I know a certain black cat that has also been just as smitten."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "What with all his silly flirtation?"

Tikki grinned. "Sure. He's flirty and a bit ridiculous. But he did also write a rather romantic poem to a certain someone with blue eyes."

Marinette's eyes widened. "The poem!"

* * *

Tikki shook her head fondly, as Marinette half tripped down the stairs in her mad dash over to her desk. She rifled through her desk drawer for the crumpled sheet of paper. "Oh no. Where is it?"

"Maybe it's with your diary?"

"Oh. Nice thinking, Tikki!" Marinette scrambled over to her desk, tugging the chain off her neck to open the locked box.

She grinned. At one time, teen aged hormones might have seemed like a challenge, but she had faced far worse. And it was such a great feeling when all seemed likely to work out. Not the least of which was the fact that it meant that she could interact with her old friend much more.

Plagg's holders had always had a tougher time of it in the past. It often wasn't too surprising. They usually were stuck in situations that made them ripe for that darker, more destructive potential.

Of course, it hadn't helped that more than one of her bugs had taken the vows of chastity. It had the unfortunately consequence of sending more than a few of Plagg's kittens off to reckless, tragic ends. That was an experience she was more than a little loath to repeat.

While Adrien had a more complicated home life than he usually let on, he wasn't so reckless without cause.

Of course, Marinette had been stubborn enough to fight to get her partner back time and time again, even before she'd known who was behind the mask.

They both were so young. The pair of them would have plenty of time for romance to unfold more naturally. Assuming she and Plagg could navigate them both through all this Hawkmoth mess.

Marinette had curled up on her bed, poring over the thin page she'd held delicately in her hands. Sighing, the girl worried her lip as her eyes scanned over each word. "Do you really think he wrote all this about me, Tikki?"

Tiny red hands clutched together, half masking her bemused smile. "I really do."

The bright, soft smile that curved Marinette's lips boded well.

It boded very well indeed.

* * *

Marinette had rushed through dinner, mulling over the poem and him as she'd sped through her meal.

She was so sure that her parents must have noticed how distracted she was during dinner. Thankfully, they opted to quiet about it.

Shuffling in her seat, she'd forced herself to take smaller bites, to chew a little more slowly. Marinette didn't want to upset her stomach. The slow bubble of anxiety churned in her stomach at the thought of meeting Chat Noir. How could she manage to keep herself together when it was actually Adrien behind that veil of puns and flattery?

But she desperately needed to be practical.

On a normal week, there was a patrol tonight. Although they did sometimes skip nights when there was an attack earlier in the day.

But for some reason, she really, really wanted to go now.

"Do you have any time to help us with inventory this evening, Marinette?"

"Sorry, Maman." She'd whimpered, her face falling. Not tonight! "I have a whole pile of homework to get through tonight."

"Alright, dear."

"If you don't mind, I ought to go get started on it."

As soon as her parents murmured agreement, she carried her dishes over to the sink and headed back up to her room.

* * *

Adrien paced in his room, cell phone in hand. It had been all too easy to get Marinette's cell phone number from Nino.

He'd had far too much time sitting at the empty dinner table, planning his response.

But the overwhelming silence had given way to his own worries.

Soon, he'd told her. And he'd meant it, at the time.

Plagg scrambled over the controls on the foosball table. An amused smile crossed his lips as the handles rolled under his feet. "You're worrying too much, kid."

Adrien grumbled, wheeling back in the other direction. "This shouldn't be so hard, but now it is."

"But I thought she was just a friend?" He didn't even need to turn around to hear the smirk in Plagg's voice.

He raked his hand through his hair. "Clearly, she was also my partner. My Ladybug."

"And for all that time, she has also been a good friend." Rolling his eyes, Plagg let his feet slow to a stop, wobbling upright. "It isn't like you haven't talked to Marinette before, in and out of your transformed form."

"But that's the trouble, Plagg. Marinette always been impressive and amazing - if a little clumsy at times."

"Just a little?" The kwami grinned.

Adrien smiled begrudgingly at that. Ladybug hadn't lied after all when she'd said she was madly clumsy that first day.

He shook his head, trying to clear his own thoughts. At the beginning, it had only been a little intimidating to talk to her. Her misunderstanding of his part in Chloe's gum-on-the-seat prank tainted her first impression of him. Though he hadn't known at the time, he had already met her as his partner and had been completely at ease in talking to her.

Plagg sighed heavily. "Just send it, kid. The more you worry, the more you'll end up worrying her."

* * *

Marinette shut the hatchway to her room closed carefully.

Tikki was hefting her phone off her desk, a wide grin splitting her face as she crooned. "You have a message...from Adrien."

Marinette slapped her hand over her mouth to silence her squeal. Wide eyed, she held her palm out for Tikki to drop the heavy phone into her palm.

A: Hey, Marinette! This is Adrien.

A: Ummm...Chat Noir said you all were looking for me?

M: Hey, Adrien!

M: You're alright?

A: Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little tired.

M: Oh?

A: I had a photo shoot that ran long. Nino didn't know I wasn't notified until the last minute. My Father's assistant had to sneak this one in while the photographer they wanted was available.

Tikki smirked down at the screen from her place on Marinette's shoulder. "That boy's honestly gotten a good handle on his excuses."

"Better than me, anyways." Marinette frowned. "It's really amazing he had enough time to tackle his duties as Chat Noir."

"It means he understands how important it is that he be there for Ladybug." Tikki assured. "If he didn't want to be there, he'd probably be grumbling just as much as Plagg."

"Plagg?" Marinette's eyebrows raised, her fingers flying across the screen.

M: You let Nino know?

Tikki grinned. "Chat Noir's kwami."

Marinette's lips curved. "Is he as cute as you are?"

Tikki snorted, tiny red mittens settling onto her hips. "He's cute, sure. But that's only the hide the fact that he's also cranky, easily bored, and a terrible glutton."

A: Yeah. I contacted him first. I realized I didn't have your number.

A: And Chat Noir said you were the one who asked him.

A: So, I wanted to let you know, so you didn't worry.

Marinette beamed, bouncing on her toes. The floorboards faintly creaking beneath her feet.

M: Thank you. :)

M: I'm glad you have it now.

* * *

"Me, too."

Adrien smiled up at the cell phone screen. He'd snuggled into the covers, blushing as soon as she'd started to respond.

It was late enough now that he might as well crash. He's gotten just enough homework done and could make up the rest with his early wake up in the morning.

"Ugh." Plagg tipped over the trash can and rolling it around the floor. His voice echoed against the metal walls. "Are you two still being gross?"

"Plagg," Adrien sighed, tearing the blanket off his head. "We're not being gross. Marinette's being really sweet and concerned."

"I'll be the judge of that." Plagg flew over, wrestling the phone from his grip.

"Plagg! Give that back."

"Blah, blah, blah...photo shoot...blah, blah...Nino."

"Plagg," Adrien hissed. "I mean it."

Plagg snickered, lifting the phone up out of easy reach. "Blah...awkward flirting...blah, blah."

Adrien glared at his kwami, before trying to figure out which way to try to scale to snatch the phone back.

"Oh." Plagg grinned, glowing green eyes full of mischief. "Oh, Kid. you're in trouble."

Adrien gulped, reaching his hand up towards Plagg. "What does it say?"

Plagg cackled, lifting the phone a bit higher, rolling mid-air in unrestrained amusement.

"Plagg! Come on."

Thankfully, Plagg found at least a little mercy in his cold, dark little heart and hovered down just in reach.

Adrien's eyes widened as his eyes drifted over the screen.

M: I just spotted Ladybug out on Patrol. I need to let Alya know or I won't hear the end of it tomorrow.

M: Talk to you later?

"Plagg!" He beamed, typing a short reply before tossing the phone half-forgotten onto his bed.

"Claws out!"

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

So only a little bit more (maybe a chapter or two of this one to go! I definitely got pleasantly derailed on my crack fic turned monster.

Once I wrap this one up, I have three hopefully shorter prompts to wrap up the LadyNoir Month challenge...a few months late. ;)

Thank you all as always for your support! I definitely could not do nearly as much or nearly as well without each one of you. 3


	43. Ch 28: (In Love With a) Laugh - Part 8

Nearly as soon as she'd transformed, speeding up through her skylight to the roof, Ladybug's yo-yo buzzed.

"Well." She'd blinked, unhooking the yo-yo from her hip. "That was fast."

Those mesmerising, glowing green eyes practically filled the screen, the background shifting slightly as if he was bouncing on his toes. But it was a surprisingly familiar sight: the top of the Agreste mansion. "You're up for a Patrol tonight, my Lady?"

She smiled a bit more widely than normal, her confidence slowly draining behind the mask as the reality of the situation landed. This wasn't just a late night patrol with her partner. Now it was a rooftop stroll with her crush - who might or might not actually be returning those feelings to her.

Sitting in her room and sighing over the poem, it had felt more sure that her confidence as Ladybug could help her pull through. But it was already taking more time than usual for her to find her voice, as the weight of the image left her heart feeling like she had already been sprinting over the rooftops. "I was thinking about it."

"I wasn't sure you were planning on it after the attack earlier." Chat Noir smiled ruefully. "I tried to do homework and rest up, but I wasn't having much luck."

"Yeah." She murmured, far softer than she had any right. "I could at least use the run to clear my head."

He'd grinned, winking at her just before the screen went dark. "I'm on my way."

She exhaled, drawing in a steadying breath as she dragged a gloved finger over the screen. "I'll be waiting."

Her eyes shut, pressing the yo-yo back into its compact form and letting it fly across the Seine.

* * *

It was a good thing that the patrol route was so normal, a familiar dance across the rooftops, because everything else felt stilted.

Maybe it was because she knew.

It was that fact that made her run harder, putting a little more distance between them for the sake of maintaining her own composure. Of course, the distance didn't stop her from looking back at him all too often.

Or maybe it was because now she couldn't help but watch him because she knew.

Since she was watching him that couldn't help but notice just how much he was watching her. She'd always known her partner to be flirty and over the top. Somehow, she hadn't considered how much he must have been watching her in order to pick up on some of the little things, the little clues and glances they'd used to telegraph the next move, especially for those more clever Akuma.

But her ignorance has been blissful, knowledge and awareness of those glowing green eyes meeting hers now kicked up a storm of butterflies in her belly.

Her grip on the yoyo tightened, swinging from rooftop to rooftop and letting the momentum continue to propel her forward.

Only the tiniest frowns marred his features as he'd popped his baton from its holster, quickly vaulting back to her side. When she'd grown daring and let her eyes meet with glowing green, his grin widened.

It was a bit unsettling still seeing that smile she so much associated with him as Adrien at his happiest beneath the mask.

If she'd had any remaining doubts that pushed them away.

* * *

It had been such a long ingrained habit to watch her. Even those first days, she had been such a force of nature that he couldn't quite look away, even if he'd wanted to.

But now that he knew who was hiding behind the spots, he just wanted to watch her more to fit together the pieces to make better sense of the girl behind the mask, to figure out how the miraculous magic had so managed to even deceive his own eyes and ears. Since she sat behind him in class, there wasn't much opportunity to be had during school and his schedule never allowed for much time to hang out with his friends even after she had been more willing to talk to him.

He frowned as she'd raced ahead, putting more distance between them than was necessary for their usual conversation, clamoring to play catch up.

After their bad start in school, it seemed like Marinette had been a bit more friendly with him, which had given him hope. But he was never, truly sure. Her long history of anxiousness around him gave him pause, made him wonder if perhaps she might be disappointed to find out that he was her partner.

When the staggering force of her blue eyes hit him, he knew. Even if she might be saddened by him, he had to tell her.

It was only right.

He smiled. If he knew one thing about Ladybug and Marinette, it was that doing what was right was so important.

* * *

Ladybug hadn't expected to slip. Her footing was now so trained by muscle memory that this kind of slip had seemed unlikely, even with her focus so split.

But her reactions were finely honed enough that she was ready to send her yo-yo flying, swinging her down to safety.

Not that it was necessary. Or that she could move her arms.

Chat Noir had caught her mid-fall, his arms ringing around her shoulders, pressing her nose into his neck.

The baton extended to the ground below halting the otherwise inevitable fall, before lifting them both slowly, back up to the solid rooftop where he righted them both.

"You alright there, Princess?"

Her eyes widened behind the mask, glad that her face was still pressed into his chest, her arms hanging uselessly at her sides.

He knew.

He knew and he had been watching her. He hadn't let her fall.

She had thought her heart had been racing when she'd slipped.

Ladybug could hardly breathe, could hardly think.

And so, she laughed.

* * *

Chat Noir gaped, pulling back a step to check on his partner.

Her eyes slid closed, her face tilted away from his.

Her laugh had gone high and self-deprecating. It wasn't Ladybug's laugh, unrestrained and free, with a cutting, occasionally wicked sense of humor.

It was Marinette's.

Even as Chat Noir, he was certainly not immune.

He'd been in love with Ladybug for so long now, it felt like he couldn't have fallen any further.

It shocked him just how wrong he'd been. Now that he knew that his Lady had actually been someone he'd considered a friend all along, the picture just now felt more complete.

"My Lady?"

Her shades-too-blue eyes slid open, her arms wrapping around her middle as the laugh grew more into Ladybug's familiar musical range. "Oh, no, Chaton. I'm afraid you let the cat out of the bag."

He blinked, stepping back another half step. "Huh?"

"It means you slipped, Adrien."

Adrien? His eyes widened. "Then you know, too?"

She nodded, inhaling slowly. "Not for very long though. Just since this afternoon."

"What gave me away?" He risked a step back towards her.

Ladybug's eyes darted away but she didn't dare to move. "Umm. It might seem odd, but your laugh."

"Really?" He straightened, his grin widening.

"I had realized a while ago that I hadn't heard you laugh much while in the suit, and I had been trying to cheer you up a little." She bit her lip. "Not that I had any idea who was behind the mask at the time."

"Ah. That explains the attempt at puns."

"Excuse me?" Her eyes narrowed, her finger reaching out to tap his nose on instinct. "That was better than an attempt at least."

"Right." He narrowed the distance between their faces, his tail winding back and forth fluidly. "It means you just need more purr-actice."

She groaned, lifting her eyes to the sky. "I am not having this conversation. I am going to wake up, and this is all going to have been a terrible, awful dream about puns."

He smirked. "I can assure you that I'm no knightmare, Purr-incess."

"Ugh," she groaned, bringing a gloved hand up to massage her temple. "Right now, that's debatable."

Chat Noir only laughed, once again betraying the identity of the boy beneath.

She shook her head, smiling more fondly than she ought to for his ridiculous puns. "I never would have guessed you would have such an awful sense of humor based on how you act every day."

"My father has some rather strict expectations for how I should act, as it reflects the family name." He tapped the mask. "For all that this comes with some heavy responsibility, it still feels more freeing."

Ladybug blinked. "I can understand that in a way. The anonymity of this mask let me be more confident than I would have been without it."

"Huh." Chat tilted his head. "You always seem pretty confident in class. Well, most of the time anyways."

Her eyes drifted away from his. "That's been pretty new for me, honestly. But it is nice."

* * *

Chat Noir stared at her, uncertain. "Why do you still struggle a bit anyways? It never seemed like you had any problems talking to someone else." He pulled back, his tail slowing. "Was it something I did?"

Ladybug felt vaguely dizzy, like the spin of falling down from high up in the air although the world itself was standing still. She swallowed, trying to mentally pick the best words to tell her partner that she's actually had a massive crush on him all this time. It would be miraculous if she'd manage to put the words together, even with the extra confidence boost of her transformed form.

His claws hung limply at his side, his eyes downcast. "It's just that I was hoping maybe you'd like me enough outside the mask. I know all too well that you don't see me as more than a friend in it. I guess I should tone back the flirting a bit, because that's just gonna be unwelcome now, huh."

"Oh, no. It wasn't you." She assured, reaching out towards him before thinking better of it. This was not really how she had hoped this was going to progress.

But the way his face fell when she let her own arm drop, the hurt in those emerald eyes nearly broke her heart.

Steeling herself, she'd closed her eyes, willing her heart rate to slow. She'd battled monsters - with him - for months now. This should be such a small thing in comparison.

"I mean it." She'd whispered, her voice gaining a bit of volume, one eye sneaking open. "I might have had a bit of a crush on you."

His green eyes were unnaturally wide, the slitted pupils obvious even in spite of the distance. His jaw had dropped. For so many months, she'd happily wished for a bit of this silence from her partner. But right now, she'd needed to know they were still okay. Ladybug had dared a cautious step towards him. "Chaton…?"

He'd blinked, the brightest blush flooding his cheeks as he backpedalled, losing his footing on an uneven bit of roof.

Her eyes hardened, already in motion before her mind had made a firm decision.

* * *

He'd braced himself to hit the ground, but to his surprise, he was met only with softness and warmth

He thought he was blushing before, but his face burned as he looked up into the concern filling her brilliant blue eyes.

The heat in his cheeks was only mildly dampened by the cozy heat from her slim arm supporting his own shoulders. As tiny as Marinette was, it was no mean feat, but he had little doubt she could lift almost as much without the superpowers.

He had known it from that first day. Ladybug really was crazy awesome.

His lips curved up in a purely self-deprecating smile, as he leaned back into her arms. "My hero."

Ladybug had laughed at that, tears forming at the edges of her mask as she'd help him right himself. "I suppose that means that you are alright."

"Never better, my lady." He half bowed, snagging her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles.

But this time, Ladybug hadn't pulled her hand away.

This time, she'd laughed, mischief bedeviling those blue eyes.

"Although I suppose, I ought to ask you to stop falling for me."

He couldn't help but smirk at her pun. "A little too late for that, I fear."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Another drabble turned multi-chapter madness now completed!

Thanks again for your patience! I hope despite the delays, it has been an enjoyable ride. :D

Your support has really meant the world to me. 3


	44. Chapter 29: Early Hours

**Summary:**

Follow Up to Day 25: Sober, which was a Follow Up to Day 8: Ride or Die

 _ **Notes:**_

Thanks to Enberlight for the beta read! 3

* * *

It had been well past midnight when they both landed on her rooftop, yawning and at a far slower pace than normal. Marinette snuck down to the kitchen to find something to re-charge their Kwami.

He'd stayed on the roof, cat-napping in the lounger. He was tempted to detransform, but as they were trying to stay quiet, he didn't trust Plagg to keep quiet until he was happily fed.

She had scurried about her room a bit, probably cleaning up a little. Adrien offered to help, but she'd insisted he wait upstairs. It was a bit chilly in the early spring air, but he hadn't exactly been planned company.

In fact, it couldn't have been more than ten minutes later, she had come back up to the roof to talk, so they didn't accidentally wake up her parents.

Plagg had his mouth stuffed with cheese, rushing off with Ladybug's Kwami, Tikki, down in her room.

Marinette told him that she was going to tell her parents that his home situation was getting gross, to seek out their permission for him to come in as himself. Keeping one big secret from them was bad enough.

They wouldn't turn him away, although there were sure to be certain rules in place.

They hadn't been able to plan much more before Marinette had started to yawn. He insisted they go to sleep. There would be plenty to time to talk later, to make some further arrangements to make sure he and Plagg would stay safely out of his father's reach.

Her blue eyes drooped heavily, but she'd nodded, traipsing down the ladder back to her room with a surprising grace he'd not noticed in Marinette before, but had been all but captivated by in Ladybug. Maybe she'd found some of the powers started to bleed through, and she'd pretended the extra clumsiness to keep anyone from noticing.

(On the other hand, Ladybug had been quite a bit clumsy that first day.)

When he'd gotten down, she was rifling in a set of drawers for an extra blanket, snagging a pillow from her bed, and then cuddled herself into the chaise.

He'd blinked, confused until she'd insisted he use the bed. She was small enough to fit on the chaise comfortably.

He'd smirked, biting back the temptation for a series of puns on her smaller stature and filing it away for later. He'd offered her a hand up, telling her he would be just fine in the smaller chair. There was no reason for her to go to extra trouble on his account.

He must have imagined the blush when she'd tugged her hand away, stubbornly cuddling the overly large cat pillow to her stomach and winding herself around on the chaise to get comfortable.

He'd looked back over his shoulder, doubtful as he'd headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth with the spare toothbrush she'd grabbed on her run to the kitchen.

* * *

He was sure he hadn't been in the bathroom long, but Marinette was already softly snoring when he'd cracked the door back open. A small lamp still stayed on, casting a thin beam of light on the way to the bed.

Adrien frowned, waving a hand experimentally in front of her face, blocking the small bit of light. Her dark lashes hadn't even flinched, so he took the risk, sliding his arms under her experimentally before he'd lifted her up to full height.

Slight though she was, Marinette's frame was as muscular as Ladybug's body needed to be. For the slightest moment, he thought about transforming before he thought better of it. The flash of light would surely wake her back up.

Adrien's jaw set. He would just need to move slowly and carefully.

The tiny red Kwami blinked owlishly at him, her bright blue eyes blinking faintly glowing in the near dark. Plagg had cuddled up beside her, snoozing and far quieter than Adrien was used to from the usually cantankerous Kwami.

As he adjusted his hold around her shoulders, Marinette had nuzzled herself into his chest, sending a rather fierce, burning blush racing up his cheeks. He hardly dared to breath as his gaze slid down to her face, watching for some sign of her waking up.

Tikki's musical giggle chimed through the air. "You won't have to worry about that, Adrien. Once she's fallen asleep, Marinette is usually out like a light. It's waking her up in the morning that is usually trouble."

Inhaling as quietly as he could manage – just to be safe - Adrien re-adjusted his grip, moving with all the cat-like grace he could muster to settle her back onto the pillows and tug the comforter up to cover her shoulders.

"She'll be comfortable enough like that." Tikki beamed her approval as she'd hovered in the air over his shoulder. "But you should get to sleep as well. It has been a long day, I'm sure."

Nodding, he'd tiptoed back over to the chaise, curling himself up against the white cat pillow and burrowing himself into the quilt, his eyes growing heavy.

"Goodnight, Adrien." The tiny, red Kwami patted his cheek.

"Goodnight."

* * *

Whenever he had to travel, Adrien always felt a bit unsettled waking up in the morning in an unfamiliar room. Surrounded by unfamiliar sounds, a pillow that never felt quite right, he tended to wake up slowly, to take in the different sights in the early morning hours, puzzling out what city he was currently in as the pieces fell together in his mind. He only ever had a few minutes he'd had between Nathalie's wakeup call and the inevitable 4 or 5 am drive to the shoot location.

It usually tended to be an ornate hotel suite, just as large and as unfeeling as the cavernous room he'd called home.

But this? This was different.

If he'd still had any doubt where he was, the sheer amount of pink on the walls confirmed it.

A dazed smile perked up his lips. This was cozier, feeling far more like a home than his ever would.

It wasn't the most comfortable bed he'd ever slept in, but for all of that he couldn't recall the last time he'd slept so well.

Especially not considering his rather rude awakening just a few hours earlier.

He was not safe in his own home. His ring and Plagg would not truly be safe within those walls, at least not until all of this was finally over.

He sighed, letting his head sink back into the pillow.

That was why he was here at Marinette's. In Ladybug's House.

It must have been the muffled sound of the shuffle below had jarred him from sleep, the hushed voices of heading down the gently creaking stairs. She hadn't told him just how early they'd be up and down to the shop, but he hadn't thought he was such a light sleeper.

The whole of the mansion was soundproofed, which had always worked to his own benefit before, but even now he had to wonder if it was just done to suit his father's own nefarious purposes.

Adrien sat up, his eyes adjusting rather quickly to the quiet dark. It was thanks to his alter ego and Plagg's influence that even without his transformation, his night vision had improved marginally, just enough to see a bit in the dark.

He crept in the darkness, careful not to draw any attention in case one of her parents still lingered in the living room below. Adrien drew just close enough to her bed to glance over to the glowing digits on the clock, stifling a sigh. There was maybe a half an hour left before he needed to be back in his room, pretending he'd spent the night under his own covers.

Not that he wanted to go.

He knew wouldn't have long to linger, but even in his wildest dreams, he hadn't imagine he would be right here with her now.

Marinette had burrowed into the thick comforter, a heavy cloth armor to protect her against the daylight.

Her hair had started to slip down out of her pigtails for the first time that he could recall. A few sections fanned out across her pillow.

He smiled fondly, tempted to right the mussed section or - barring that - loosen the rest of it so it might be more comfortable. Wincing, he wished he'd thought of that last night, when he'd tried to tuck her in.

Adrien drew his hand away, letting it drop to his side. There just wasn't time.

They'd both agreed that he couldn't let on that he knew. It was the safest thing for now, until they worked out a better plan. And Nathalie would be stopping to knock on his door like clockwork and start the long-detailed schedule bright and early each morning.

He sighed, slowly sinking into Marinette's desk chair. Even Tikki was still asleep in the early dawn hours, but he didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.

Resolute, Adrien picked up a pen and a loose sheet of paper from the trash to pen a quick note.

* * *

The green flash of light woke her up at an absurdly early hour, her eyes shutting more firmly to block out the harsh light.

She'd rustled under the covers, tugging the blankets a bit higher. Absently, she'd thought they were lucky that her parents were already down in the shop. They were definitely nosy enough to want to see what was causing a light in her room this early.

It wasn't until she'd heard the latch of her sunroof snap closed that her mind started spinning on all cylinders.

Bleerily, she sat up in bed, confused. She hadn't been in her own bed when she fell asleep.

She hadn't been alone either.

As Marinette's mind slowly assembled the pieces, her cheeks darkening as realization of what must have happened sunk in.

Her eyes scanned the room, noting the fuzzy red blur rushing to her desk, before she'd pulled the covers off. The bracing draft dispelled the last vestiges of sleep from her mind .

"Your Chat Noir is quite the gentleman, Marinette. He even left a note." Tikki dropped down onto the desk, her tiny paws pulling the paper open. "Don't worry."

"It's not the note that has me worried. We know where he has to be headed. I just don't like the thought of him being over there unprotected." Marinette blanched, her fingers reaching up to her hair, fixing the ribbons hastily. "He's in the lion's den, and we don't really have a good enough plan yet."

"We can work on that later today." Tikki assured. "I will even get Plagg to apply his devious mind to the matter. And after school, we can go and visit the Guardian."

Frown still set in place, Marinette slipped her shoes onto her feet. "But that still leaves this morning. And unless he's still transformed, I have no way to contact him."

Tikki nodded, "Just say the words."

* * *

Ladybug sprinted back across the rooftops, as if the devil himself snapped at her heels. The sun's light still had yet to crest over the horizon, purple and pink painting the skies.

It was a lovely picture for sure, but there was a dull pounding in the front of her skull still protesting the lack of restful sleep.

It wasn't often that she was up at such a painfully early hour.

But as she landed upon the mansion across the way from tall paned windows of Adrien's room, she knew that she would do it all again in a heartbeat if it would keep him safe.

Still on high alert, her eyes scanned Adrien's windows, wondering if he was still awake. It was hard enough to see at a distance and only a few of the downstairs lights glowed from around the house itself.

With a heavy sigh, she looped a circuit around the Agreste mansion. She made a mental note to ask Adrien where his father's rooms were, so she'd know to strategically watch or avoid as the case might merit.

When she'd landed back across the way, she had only the smallest amount of new intel. The staff in the kitchens were definitely up, and she was sure she'd spotted Adrien's bodyguard entering the front gate. Surely that meant someone was up inside.

Just not Adrien.

It didn't seem like it should have been long since he'd headed back home, but there could have been something else that had rustled her from a sound sleep with light and noise.

Pressing herself back against the rooftop, she'd lingered out of sight of the ground. If she had spotted the bodyguard, chances stood that he'd also spotted her. But unless the stoic man was also in on Hawkmoth's nefarious plans, she probably wouldn't be considered a threat.

* * *

If he didn't know, he would easily be asleep already.

But now, that was impossible.

Adrien practically vibrated. The normally comfortably cool air of his room chased a chill down the back of his neck, even as he'd buried himself beneath the covers. His eyes scanned his own room, watchful for any sign or shadow that seemed out of place. His pulse beat frenetically, setting loose the tide of butterflies - the less villainous kind, he'd hoped - to roil his stomach.

Plagg must have sensed his growing fear and discomfort, curling up on the bed beside him instead of in the trash can that set beside his desk. Soft puffs of air tugged as his bangs, as his Kwami snoozed, one glowing green eye, lazily half parted.

The prospect of breakfast even seemed unappetizing hungry though he ought to be. He needed to be ready to go into battle at a moment's notice. Fleetingly, he'd wondered is he might ask Marinette to bring something to him from the bakery. Before he remembered he didn't even have her phone number.

Adrien closed his eyes, the back of his forearm resting against forehead, willing himself to stay calm.

Plagg shifted beside him, standing alert as he'd turned to the window. "Hey, kid."

His arm fell away, half sitting up against the pile of pillows.

The cat kwami stared out the window.

Adrien sat up just in time to spot a flash of red swooping past.

Adrien's eyes widened, tossing his covers off his legs. He couldn't call on a cell phone, not if he didn't have her number. But that wasn't the only way to contact his partner after all.

"Plagg. Claws out."

* * *

Ladybug hadn't expected the vibration at her hip, but perhaps she should have. She tugged the yo-yo from her hip, leaning back against the cold brick of the chimney.

"My Lady!" His grin lit up the screen, as he half bowed. Chat Noir's hand covered his heart as the other clearly held his baton. "I had heard you wouldn't be up before dawn."

His blonde head popped back up, expressive green eyes filled with far less mischief and far more tension than she was used to.

Frowning, her eyes narrowed. She had been right to come. Even if Hawkmoth didn't make a move for days or weeks, Adrien just couldn't live like this. But he wouldn't be alone. She's made sure of that.

"Well," Ladybug's lips curved upwards, her voice growing softer even as her resolve strengthened. Her thumb dragged along the edge of the yo-yo "I can't stay asleep when there were some things worth waking up for."

Chat Noir's lips parted, as his slitted pupils widened. The mask obscured half of his expression but for the telltale flush of his cheeks. "I'm glad you did."

Exhaling in relief, Ladybug nodded. "You're doing okay?"

"For now," Chat smiled, but his eyes darted around the room. "Nathalie should be by any minute to make sure I'm awake, but she won't come in unless I'm late. Or if I don't answer."

She smiled. "Well, I still have awhile before Mom expects me to be up, so for now I can stick around and chat."

"I'd like that." His eyes slid closed for a moment, beaming as he dropped his head back against the pillow.

She grinned, tilting her head slightly as those piercing eyes lazily slid back open.

"In fact, I might have to go so far to say that would be purrfect." Chat mirrored the tilt of her own head, as he winked at her.

Rolling her eyes, a fond smile lingered on her face. "Of course you would, Chaton."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Two more prompts to go! I have plans. Now I just need to find the time!

I can never express enough how much all of your kind feedback has meant to me. 3 I don't think I ever would have dared to pick up this prompt challenge - or would have stuck with it - without all of your support! Thank you all again!


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